The Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, representing the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, has laid the foundation stone of a domestic gas plant for the South West region in Kumba. During the ceremony on Tuesday, 29 April, Minister Mbarga Atangana, who is also the board chair of the Hydrocarbons Prices Stabilization Fund, HPSF, said the infrastructure is a great, marvellous and special gift from the Head of State, His Excellency Paul Biya, to the people of the South West region.
According to the minister, the initiative is in line with the vision of President Paul Biya to improve the livelihoods of the population. In Cameroon, he noted, domestic gas is a basic necessity, and the construction of the gas plant is to correct the disparities in supply, which has been centred in Yaoundé and Douala, with far-reaching consequences such as distance, regular shortages and high prices. He said there will be no more speculation and shortages once the construction of the infrastructure is completed.
Mbarga revealed that domestic gas plant will be constructed in all ten regions of Cameroon, as no region will be forgotten in the development drive. Meanwhile, the General Manager of the Hydrocarbons Prices Stabilization Fund, Okie Johnson Ndoh, said the choice of Kumba as the site of the facility is due to its strategic location linking all six divisions of the South West region, as it will ease the transportation of domestic gas and bottles.
He revealed that the gas plant in Kumba will be an exception because the other gas storage and filling stations have been located at the regional headquarters. “Unlike the others, it will be very modern, super modern, and will act as a catalyst for economic growth throughout the South West region,” Okie noted. While stating that the Prime Minister, Head of Government, gave special directives on the implementation of the project, the boss called on the population to collaborate with the administration and contractors so the project can be received early enough.
Earlier, both the City Mayor of Kumba City Council, Gregory Ntemoyok Mewanu, and the representative of elected officials of Meme division and the South West region, Senator Andrew Otte Mofa, thanked the Head of State, President of the Republic, and the Prime Minister, Head of Government, for the gift, noting that the initiative aimed at improving the daily lives of the inhabitants. They acknowledged that the coming of the infrastructure to Kumba shows the government’s drive for the equitable distribution of resources.
Senator Andrew Otte called on President Biya to be their candidate in the upcoming presidential election in Cameroon and promised him a resounding victory. Just like an ecumenical prayer by both Christians and Muslims at the start of the event, traditional authorities performed rites for the success of the project during which Minister Mbarga Atangana was dressed in the native attire of the people of the area.
The Domestic Gas Project
The project on a ten-hectare land surface in Barombi Kang, Kumba, is to be constructed within 24 months. According to the General Manager of HPSF, Okie Johnson Ndoh, the gas plant, which will cost over 7 billion FCFA, is expected to cater for the increasing demand for domestic gas, avert shortages and price hikes. He revealed that the storage and distribution plant will comprise two tanks, each with a capacity of 100m3; filling and storage hall; administrative building; maintenance building; technical building; residential houses; recreation area; clinic; carrousel; generator; weighbridges; and rest areas.
“Its importance would not only be felt economically but also socially, as it would be a tourist attraction site,” Okie noted. He revealed that HPSF is committed to carrying out its corporate social responsibility. He said, “This project goes beyond the construction of the gas plant. Accompanying projects like the opening of the road and possible tarring of it and the electrification of the community are in view. With the structures we are putting up, this will become a tourist site, thereby bringing more income into the community. Indeed, the HPSF is committed to improving communities via corporate social responsibility.”
So far, before Kumba, the Hydrocarbons Prices Stabilization Fund carried out the project in Maroua in the Far North region, Bertoua in the East region, Bamenda in the North West region, and recently in Ebolowa in the South region. The Bamenda gas plant will be inaugurated on 9 May 2025, following the completion of construction works.