The Port Authority of Douala (PAD) has formalized a partnership with Cameroonian real estate firm Leilak Estates Corporation SARL. The deal signed on August 1 in Douala is for the construction of a five star hotel.
PAD’s Director General, Cyrus Ngo’o, and David Leilak, Director General of Leilak Estates signed for their respective organisations. The officials said the partnership marks a new front as the PAD seeks to align its infrastructure to meet tourism and urban expansion needs.
According to authorities, the planned complex, named Hotel Muaye which means “Light” in Duala, will seat on an expansive 11,000 square meters.
They also said, the project will feature a 21-story futuristic tower designed to elevate the hospitality landscape in Cameroon’s foremost port city.
Valued at approximately FCFA 160.3 billion, the project officials noted, will be realised under Public-Private Partnership (PPP), which follows a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model spanning 28 years.
Engineers detailed that, the 28-year period will consist of a six-month study phase, 30 months of construction, and 25 years of operation.
According to the partnership agreement, the project will be fully financed by the promoter, requiring no upfront capital or deposits from either PAD or the government. It is estimated to create 650 direct jobs and indirect jobs.
Under the agreement, the Port Authority of Douala (PAD) will receive an annual fixed fee of FCFA 24,000 per square meter, equating to roughly FCFA 264 million, supplemented by a variable royalty of 3% of the hotel’s annual turnover.
Projected revenues over the 25-year operational period, it was stated, exceeds FCFA 1.645 trillion. PAD’s share from the revenue, projections presented at the event show, will total about 55.9 million euros (roughly FCFA 36,667,996,300), representing nearly 20% of the overall income.
Taxes and duties contributed to the state are forecasted at 86.7 million euros (about FCFA 56,871,471,900), making the combined PAD revenues and state tax intake approximately 142 million euros; that is FCFA 93,145,894,000. This, it was said, is half of the project’s total revenue stream.
The venture, Cyrus Ngo’o said, fits in the PAD’s 2020–2050 Development Plan and represents the expanded mandate attributed to PAD through Presidential Decree No. 2019/034 of January 24, 2019. The decree granted PAD comprehensive control over its land assets inherited from the former National Office of Ports of Cameroon (ONPC), enabling it to spearhead projects with significant value beyond core maritime activities.
First published in NewsWatch newspaper No 215 of Monday, August 4, 2025.
