Cameroon Has the Power. It Cannot Deliver It.
Op-ed published in African Arguments, a leading online journal covering political, economic and social developments across Africa.
Summary
Cameroon holds some of Central Africa’s most significant hydroelectric resources — and yet its population endures chronic power cuts. This piece explores that paradox through a field mission conducted in Yaoundé in 2026: how can a country so well-endowed with generation infrastructure remain unable to guarantee reliable supply?
The analysis covers recent shifts in the sector — the renationalisation of Eneo into Socadel, tariff restructuring, tensions between operators and public authorities — and the systemic weaknesses holding back distribution: ageing networks, chronic underinvestment, and governance fragmented between central and local actors.