(Business in Cameroon) - The Minister of Mines
and Technological Development presents the mining potential of Cameroon
Business in Cameroon: What is the mining potential of Cameroon
Emmanuel Bonde: Let me first of all thank you for the opportunity you have given to us to talk about activities and projects in our Ministry
Nature has endowed our country with a huge and varied mining potential
Many experts have said that Cameroon is a geological promised land
excluding oil is a valuable lever for economic recovery and a real axis of the government political struggle against poverty
research has helped to highlight important minerals
uranium in Poli and Lolodorf as well as gold and diamonds in the Eastern Region
the following deposits are explored and developed: three Bauxite deposits (Ngaoundal
two Iron deposits (Mbalam in the east and the Udders Kribi) deposits of Nickel-Cobalt and Manganese (Lomié)
Cameroon can avoid impoverishing the state and its population
but rather use it as a lift to sustainable development
BIC: What are the mineral resources of Cameroon that could interest investors
EB: Mining in Cameroon represents 40% of national resources
The geology of Cameroon counts substances such as gold
These are some resources that may be of interest to foreign investors
Let me use this platform to appeal to companies that have an interest in our country that a huge potential exists and is just waiting to be exploited
BIC: How many licenses have been awarded in Cameroon and for which minerals
2001 Mining Code Law and its decree of implementation
Cameroon which had virtually no mining exploration licenses and currently has 160 research licenses and five exploitation permits i.e
two exploitation licenses for minerals namely nickel
cobalt and manganese from Nkamouna to Lomié and the other for diamond in Mobilong
The other three licenses were granted for marble
BIC: What are the minerals that are already being exploited in Cameroon
EB: Apart from useful substances like marble and limestone
only two exploitation licenses for industrial mining have been issued to GEOVIC Cameroon in 2003 for cobalt and nickel and C & K Mining in 2010 for diamond
The actual exploitation has not yet started
research are ongoing to determine the quality of the deposits as well as the technology to be adopted
EB: The provisions of Articles 60 and 65 in the mining code law clearly define the composition of application files for the award of exploration permits and licenses respectively
the applicant must comply with the administrative procedures to obtain a license
it should be noted that researching can take a long time
We must make every effort to determine the amount of the deposit and there are other technical aspects
We must carry out a feasibility study and there is also accompanying infrastructure project to build
you cannot ignore that mining projects require substantial financial resources for their implementation
The government on its part also takes all the steps to protect the interests of the people of Cameroon
BIC: Are there other areas where we can find diamonds in Cameroon
EB: It is in the south-eastern part close to the border with the Central African Republic
The presence of diamonds in Moloundou is not yet confirmed
the Cameroonian subsoil is explored only at 40%
we cannot say exactly the amount of diamonds in the country
what is the real diamond potential of Cameroon
EB: You cannot take the risk of engaging in rhetoric
the committee put in place to conduct studies on the real potential of our alluvial diamonds must present its findings
and it is at this level that we could give reliable figures
As for the quantities which are in the rock
it should be noted that the diamond potential of Cameroon is still awaiting evaluation by experts
BIC: What is the gas potential of Cameroon and which companies will exploit it
EB: The gas potential of Cameroon is estimated at 500 billion cubic meters and proven quantities are estimated at 115 billion cubic meters
The President of the Republic promulgated Law No
the new gas code governs the downstream gas sector which includes: activities of transmission
export and sale of natural gas and its derivative products in the national territory
This new law has so many special tax incentives
“to accompany gas projects and investments that have considerable expected economic benefits.” Remarkable advances are underway in implementing gas projects
These include the proposed gas field development by Rodeo Development Ltd in Logbaba
the project to supply gas to the Bipaga gas plant in Kribi and the construction of a natural gas liquefaction plant at Mboro in Kribi
BIC: If given a lot of investors to select from
what kind would Cameroon like to have in the mining sector
because it is a necessary factor for the revival of the economy to achieve the objectives found in the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP)
This is one of the reasons why the Head of State
has ordered the writing of the industry’s codes of investment
there is even a single code that is in preparation
which is why it is imperative to develop this single code with incentives that will focus on investment rather than on general industry
Emphasis will be placed on the processing of local raw materials
all investors who specialize in these areas and many more
investors will certainly be interested in Cameroon
EB: In view of the great resources available in our country
the state has provided incentives for investment
The mining and industrial sectors are no exception to the rule
Wishing to establish a relationship based on trust and mutually beneficial partnership with all investors who wish to do business
Cameroon offers through its investment policy
attractive incentives to businesses in order to improve the investment rate
to guarantee the security of enterprises and to enhance their competitiveness
Cameroon is at the centre of Africa with a thousand possibilities
among others: geographical location-bordering the Gulf of Guinea has become a strategic issue
diversity and above all a remarkable stability since thirty years
With these significant assets adds among other things: a population of twenty million people
competent and integrated at the heart of large economic blocks like the CEMAC countries
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Join us at the Exhibition Research Lab Gallery for a talk by Dr Christine Eyene who will discuss her research on the links between Liverpool’s maritime history
and practices of extraction in rural Cameroon
Focusing on reproductions of archival material contained in the vitrine displayed in the exhibition ‘What the Mountain Has Seen’
Dr Eyene will retrace the journey of American missionaries who travelled to West and Central Africa in the 19th and early 20th centuries via Liverpool
in their mission to colonise and Christianise parts of the African continent
Taking as point of departure her paternal village of Bikoka (Lolodorf)
timetables of Liverpool shipping companies
to uncover untold chapters of interdependent German
‘What the Mountain Has Seen’ refers to Mount Mbanga
a natural landmark both present in colonial images of Lolodorf and contemporary artworks
The exhibition posits the mountain as witness to the history of the land and its peoples
The talk will also delve into artworks by Cameroonian artists Yvon Ngassam
who address the impact of these histories across time
It will also explore the practice of British artists Joy Gregory
Shiraz Bayjoo and Freya Tewelde who expand on these narratives in the context of the Caribbean
Dr Christine Eyene is Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Art and Co-Director of the Exhibition Research Lab at Liverpool John Moores University
She teaches Exhibition Histories and curatorial practices from an African and Diasporic perspective
she worked with Professor Lubaina Himid CBE RA on Making Histories Visible
an interdisciplinary visual arts research project then based at the University of Central Lancashire
Her most recent exhibitions are ‘George Hallett: Home and Exile’
and ‘The Plant the Stowed Away’
Tate Liverpool + RIBA North (6 Feb – 11 May 2025)
Her latest essays include: ‘Where an artist finds freedom’ in Alicia Knock (ed.)
‘Paris Noir: Artistic circulations and anti-colonial resistance
2025; ‘South African Exile and Diasporic Cultural Transmission’ in Ntshepe Tsekere Bopape and Alexandre Quoi (ed.)
Globalisto – A Philosophy in Flux – Acts of an Imbizo
‘What the Mountain Has Seen’ is on until 31 October 2025 and coincides with ‘The Plant that Stowed Away’
on view at Tate Liverpool + RIBA North until 11 May 2025
This event is supported by IAT – The Institute of Art and Technology
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(Business in Cameroon) - From 1960 to 1990
in collaboration with internationally renowned institutions such as the UNDP and the Office of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM) carried out studies to trace the mineral potential of Cameroon
over 167 exploration licenses have been granted
only about 50% of the national territory mining data is available suggesting that there are still enormous mineral resources to explore in Cameroon
Five mining licenses have already been granted: Geovic Company for the exploitation of nickel
C and K Mining Company Inc for diamond and accompanying substances in Mobilong (Yokadouma)
and three operating permits were granted for the extraction of limestone and marble
The following companies are currently negotiating mining agreements with the State of Cameroon: Cam Iron
a subsidiary of Australia’s Sundance Resources for the mining of iron ore at Mbalam and Cameroon Alumina Limited for the bauxite deposits at Mini Martap near Ngaoundal (Adamawa)
A deposit of three million tons of rutile reserves exists in Akonolinga
These reserves are larger and extend over a vast area of more than 30,000 km on the outskirts of Centre
Their economic weight is not clearly evaluated
Fifty uranium targets have been identified
most of which form geochemical anomalies that were identified by systematic mining inventory work conducted from 1978 to 1987 in the Southeast by the UN and in the Southwest by the French Bureau of Geological and Mining Research
Mega Uranium Company holds exploration permits
and is currently carrying out research work at Poli and Teubang in the North
Lolodorf in the South and Ngombas in the Centre
a uranium deposit of more than 1,300 tons was discovered at Poli
But the real potential of Cameroon is unknown
At least five targets are identified in Lom around Bétaré-Oya
Yingui to the North-East of Douala and Mayo Boula in the Far North
large deposits of Pozzolana in volcanic areas of the Southwest
Not only are there industrial quantities of sand as a building material and servicing
by region of "proved" and "developed" deposits of raw materials :
Inventaires et volumes des gisements de 35 zones minières camerounaises
Interprétation des photos satellites des 35 zones minières où sont inventoriés des gisements prouvés non développés du Cameroun
Estimation des réserves prouvées non développées du Cameroun
500 000 tonnes 55 millions de tonnes 61 millions de tonnes 17 millions de tonnes
Les grands projets miniers engagés au Cameroun