Electricity Development Corporation recommits to further develop energy infrastructure.

The budget was adopted alongside a strategic plan of action during the institution’s 57^th Ordinary Session in Yaounde.

The Minister in charge of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic, Victor Arrey Mengot, who also doubles as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of EDC, chaired deliberations.

The Director General, DG, of EDC, Dr Theodore Nsangou, served as rapporteur during deliberations.

It emerged at the end of exchanges that the EDC would this year double its engagements to step up the quality of the country’s energy infrastructure and construct new facilities. 

In this light, a release which the Board Chairperson, Minister Mengot, issued at the end of the meeting indicated that the EDC has a Performance Plan and Budget for 2026.

The minister declared in his release that the EDC will function on 69,770,977,207 FCFA in the current year. 

Of the amount, the Board Chairperson wrote that over 28 billion FCFA is programmed for investments and project management.

To stay buoyant and meet up with other undertakings, the communique of the Board Chairperson specified that, over 41.5 billion FCFA will be used to service loans, “operations, company equipment, operating costs of reservoir dams as well as the operation of the Memve’ele Dam and the Lom Pangar Hydroelectric Power Plant”.

Mbankaou power stations, community electrification advancing 

On some of the strides of 2025 and work to continue this 2026, the Board, the release noted, praised the advancement already recorded. 

It “expressed particular satisfaction with progress of studies for the construction of project of the Mbankaou Hydroelectric Power Station Stations as well as the satisfactory advancement of the electrification of 150 localities in the East Region”.

Hails Dr Nsangou-led management’s performance 

Beyond guiding what will be done for 2026, the Board also saluted the outstanding work of the management team under the leadership of Dr Nsangou. 

It said he and his collaborators stood tall in sustaining EDC’s visibility and stability in the face of a difficult “financial context”.

Board members, the note which sanctioned the meeting indicated, also “praised the clarity and relevance of the documents submitted for review”. 

It also “encouraged the team to continue with its efforts aimed towards the promotion and constant improvement of performance of the Electricity Development Corporation”. The institution’s 2025 Performance Report was also adopted.

Strategic ground covered in boosting energy infrastructure

The Mbakoua Hydroelectric Power Plants in Mbakoua, Njerem Division of the Adamawa Region is one of the key projects which has seen the EDC active on.

Last years, EDC Director General led a delegation to the field during which evaluation of field studies was done and communities consulted on key issues.

Officials of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT, also accompanied the EDC delegation during the field works.

EDC management has repeatedly stated that, that the Mbakaou hydroelectric project is a central pillar in optimizing Cameroon’s energy supply.

Given its location downstream from an existing dam, experts insist that it has several unique advantages. EDC and its partners have remained keen on bringing I to fruition based on several advantages. 

Among them, officials note, its ease to facilitate integration, pre-existing infrastructure, limited environmental social impacts plus the existence of a substation in Tibati some 40 kilometers makes power distribution easy. 

The Mbakaou project, officials say, remains priority in the Head of State, Paul Biya’s commitment to address domestic energy needs and meet the need for same in neighbouring countries such as Nigeria and Chad. 

It is projected that at least 100 Megawatts of electricity from the plant will be exported to Chad by 2027.

It was on July 17, 2024 that Dr Nsangou, on behalf of EDC signed a contract with French firm ISL for the Mbakaou dam project. 

Based on the agreement, ISL was to conduct feasibilities studies for a 250 to 300 Megawatts hydroelectric plant at the foot of the Mbakaou reservoir.

ISL is supposed to have completed financial, social and technical studies for the project. The project is expected to integrate solar panels on the Mbakaou reservoir to boost energy supply in the North, Adamawa and Far North Regions.

Why project is strategic 

With challenges associated with the Lagdo Dam's production that sometimes suffer deficits, and constraints in Bini à Warak dam project, EDC’s investment in the Mbakaou dam project has been rated as being strategic. It is a scheme with potential to add stable, clean and affordable energy to the population

Upon realisation, the project is expected to strengthen the interconnection of the country's northern and southern grids, and potential electricity exports to neighboring Chad.

It is expected to be linked to the Chad-Cameroon Electrical Grid Interconnection Project (PIRECT) which has a transformer in Tibati. 

Operation electrify 150 communities in East

The project to electrify 150 communities in the East Region is also another game changer in boosting lives at the grassroots level. 

EDC boss had disclosed when President Biya announced the project targeting to light 10,000 homes in the East Region that the Corporation remains committed to work with its partners to extend electricity.

Dr Nsangou had disclosed that the electrification project will be done through the construction of 438 kilometer of High Tension, HT, cable lines and 206 kilometer of Low Tension, LT, lines. 

The goal, he had revealed, is to electrify access to electricity with the support of partners such as the African Development Bank, AfDB, and the Development Bank of Central African States, BDEAC. 

EDC had long put to service a foot plant at the Lom Pangar Hydroelectric Dam reducing cost of supplying light to some communities through gas-powered plants by halting the Central Thermal plant in Bertoua.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3688 of Thursday January 29, 2026