Douala City Council evaluates works on construction of waste management plant.

The Douala City Council, which is lead authority overseeing the initiative, unveiled the infrastructure to the public and members of the press on May 7, 2025. The First Deputy City Mayor, Dr Jérémie Solle, led a guided visit to the construction site. 

He was accompanied by representatives from the various municipal councils in the city of Douala and key stakeholders in the waste management sector, including operators of sludge removal services. 

The initiative aims to tackle the city’s growing waste problem while simultaneously contributing to energy production and job creation. The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art waste treatment station designed to recycle waste into usable energy. 

The objective of the visit was twofold; to familiarise stakeholders with the structure and functions of the new facility and to clarify its management model, which will be based on a form of public-private partnership.

The municipal authority emphasised the importance of collaborative management in ensuring the facility’s success. 

“We are adopting a participatory approach where both the public and private sectors will have a role in operating and maintaining the station,” he said. 

He added that: “We are also encouraging all stakeholders, especially those working in the sanitation and waste disposal sectors, to take ownership of this infrastructure and integrate it into their operations”.

During the visit, the various stakeholders toured all compartments of the waste treatment plant and were invited to share their observations, concerns, and suggestions. 

These inputs, according to the Douala City Council, will be discussed in an upcoming debriefing session aimed at refining the project’s implementation strategy. 

The City Council also used the opportunity to sensitize operators on the future benefits of the station and its potential to revolutionize waste disposal practices in the city.

Douala, it should be noted, has long struggled with poor waste disposal practices, illegal dumping, and inadequate sanitation facilities. 

The station, currently under construction, and almost completed, is part of the World Bank-financed Inclusive Cities Project aimed at improving living standards and promoting sustainable urban development. 

The World Bank has allocated a loan of six billion CFA francs to fund the project, emphasising the importance of international partnerships in addressing environmental concerns in developing cities.

Constructed over a 70-hectare site, covering a 10 hectares land surface, allocated to the waste treatment facility, the station is set to become one of the most advanced in the central African subregion. 

Once operational, it will have multiple compartments dedicated to different aspects of waste processing and energy generation. These include sludge treatment units, sorting and recycling zones, as well as energy recovery installations that will convert waste into electricity and other energy forms suitable for urban use.

The station is more than just an environmental initiative—it is a driver of economic empowerment. This is according to the Douala City Council authorities, as they added that recruitment for various technical and support roles at the facility is expected to begin soon.

The promises to have a positive ripple effect on the local economy by reducing unemployment and improving livelihoods. With rapid urbanisation and population growth putting increasing pressure on existing infrastructure, the need for sustainable solutions, as they stressed, has never been more urgent.

Worth noting, the waste management project aligns with Cameroon’s broader environmental goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing landfill use, and promoting renewable energy. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3446 of Monday May 12, 2025