By Andrew Nsoseka
President Paul Biya has acknowledged the dire state of Cameroon’s road network, saying he is “deeply concerned” about the condition of roads across the country – an admission that has reignited debate over infrastructure failures after more than four decades of his rule.
In his New Year message to the nation delivered on December 31, 2025, the 92-year-old president said he shared the same worries as ordinary Cameroonians over poor road infrastructure, which continues to hamper mobility, trade and access to basic services.
“Rest assured that I am deeply concerned, just as you are, about improving our road infrastructure,” President Biya told the nation, before announcing that a “special programme” to rehabilitate degraded roads and construct new ones would be launched in 2026.
To many critical observers, the condition of Cameroon’s roads reflects decades of unfulfilled promises. President Biya has been in power since 1982, a period during which successive development plans have pledged to modernise the country’s road network, particularly key economic corridors linking production basins to markets.
Across the country, dilapidated roads have become a daily reality for motorists and traders. In many rural areas, roads are barely passable during the rainy season, isolating communities and driving up the cost of food and transportation. Even in major cities like Yaounde and Douala, pothole-ridden streets and incomplete road works continue to frustrate residents.
While the president highlighted achievements in other sectors—including energy production, water supply and macroeconomic stability—roads stood out as one of the few areas where he openly admitted shortcomings, conceding that “sustained efforts still need to be made, without delay, to significantly improve living conditions” Even in areas like energy and water supply where he claimed success, the daily reality is almost the stark opposite. While his speech was been written and recorded, locals in the Southwest regional capital, Buea were blocking roads in protest as some were edging close to a year without access to electricity. The situation of electricity and water is dire in most towns where the services, especially potable water have completely collapsed.
The announcement of yet another road rehabilitation programme has been met with skepticism, with critics noting that similar initiatives in the past have either stalled or failed to deliver lasting results. Many Cameroonians now say they expect concrete action rather than renewed assurances.
As Cameroon enters 2026, the state of its roads remains a powerful symbol of broader governance challenges, raising questions about accountability, priority-setting and the pace of development under one of Africa’s longest-serving president.