The Douala Port Authority (PAD) is at the top of the prestigious 2025 list of the Banking Commission of Central African States (COBAC). This list includes “high-quality companies of national importance or whose weight in the economy is particularly high.”
The decision, made public on Monday, December 23, 2025, was taken during an ordinary session of the COBAC (Central African Banking Commission), held on December 12 at the institution’s headquarters in Libreville, Gabon.
The Port Authority of Douala (PAD) was on a list of companies proposed to the Central African banking regulator by the Professional Associations of Credit Institutions (APEC) of Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Chad. The PAD is the only port authority included and is ranked ahead of major petroleum product marketers and large industries.
The public company tops the list of 11 companies in Cameroon.
The Port Authority of Douala and the public company managing the Port of Douala-Bonaberi, the Autonomous Port of Douala, joined the club thanks to the COBAC decision D-2023/278, dated December 19, 2023.
COBAC, the operational arm of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), explained that this recognition stemmed naturally from the Port Authority of Douala’s remarkable management of its port, which handles nearly 90% of national traffic. The number of jobs created (over 1,500 between 2020 and 2024, for a total of approximately 2,500 currently) was also taken into account. Auditors’ reports from previous fiscal years were analyzed. Furthermore, Central African bankers have certified, and continue to certify, that the PAD’s working capital and net cash position remains positive.
A key hub in the heart of the Gulf of Guinea, the Autonomous Port of Douala is a public company with legal personality and financial autonomy whose mission is to ensure the management, promotion and marketing of the Port of Douala located in the Wouri estuary on the coastal coast and opening onto the Atlantic Ocean.
