Feicom, the fund that lends to and supports Cameroon's local councils, has picked a Chinese contractor to build its new Central Region office. China Shanxi Construction Engineering Group Corp won the Feicom contract for CFA8.722 billion including taxes, about $15.5 million, according to award documents published by the Public Contracts Regulatory Agency (ARMP) on 16 October 2026 and reported by Business in Cameroon.
The building will go up at Mimetala, in the Méfou-et-Afamba division just outside Yaoundé. Feicom's Director General, Philippe Camille Akoa, signed the award decision on 8 October.
Feicom contract: the key numbers
- Construction contract: CFA8.722 billion, taxes included.
- Feicom's own estimate: CFA9.5 billion. The winning bid came in CFA777.55 million lower, a saving of 8.18%.
- Supervision contract: CFA619.75 million to Le Competing Sarl, against an estimate of CFA665 million.
- Total for both contracts: CFA9.342 billion.
- Construction time: 36 months from the date the contractor receives the formal order to start.
- Funding: Feicom's budgets for 2026 and the following years.
The contract came out of an open national tender launched on 3 June 2026. It is a single package covering earthworks, reinforced concrete, masonry, roof structures and coverings, electrical work, air conditioning, plumbing, fire protection and exterior works.
What is missing from the documents
The published papers leave several basic questions unanswered. Business in Cameroon notes that they do not state how many floors the building will have or its total floor area. Without those figures, it is impossible to work out a cost per square metre and compare it with other public buildings in Cameroon.
No start date has been announced either. Because the 36-month clock only begins when the contractor receives the order to start work, the completion date is open-ended for now.
A confusing supervision period
The length of the supervision contract is not consistent across the documents. The original tender set it at 37 months. The award decision says 30 days. The matching award notice refers to "thirty-six (37) months", which mixes two different numbers. A supervision contract that runs 30 days for a three-year build would make little sense, so this is most likely a drafting error, but Feicom has not yet clarified which figure applies.
These details matter. Supervision is how a public client checks that the builder delivers what the contract says, on time and to standard. A gap between the construction schedule and the supervision schedule is exactly the kind of loose end that leads to disputes or cost overruns later.
Why Feicom is building
Feicom (Fonds spécial d'équipement et d'intervention intercommunale) channels money to Cameroon's councils for local projects and supports the decentralisation process. Regional offices bring its services closer to the councils it finances. The Central Region, which includes Yaoundé, is one of the most important, both for the number of councils it covers and its proximity to central government.
Spending CFA9.3 billion on an office building is a choice that will draw questions at a time when public money is tight. Cameroon executed only a small share of its investment budget in the first quarter, and the government is in difficult talks with the IMF over its 2027 deficit, as we explained in our analysis of the 2027 budget deficit target. Feicom's own resources come largely from a share of local taxes, so councils and taxpayers have a direct interest in how they are used.
Chinese contractors and Cameroon's public works
Chinese construction firms have long been major players in Cameroon's infrastructure, from ports and roads to dams and stadiums. Most of those were large projects financed by Chinese loans. This contract is different: it is a mid-sized building paid for from Feicom's own budget and won through a national tender, which suggests Chinese firms are competing directly for domestically funded work as well.
For local construction companies, that competition is significant. A bid 8.18% below the client's estimate is hard to match for smaller firms that face higher borrowing costs and less access to equipment.
What to watch
- The order to start. The date it is issued fixes the 36-month deadline.
- A correction on supervision. Feicom should publish the correct duration for Le Competing Sarl's contract.
- Building specifications. Floor area and number of storeys would allow a proper cost comparison.
- Budget allocations. Because funding is spread over 2026 and later budgets, delays in releasing money could slow the work.
For businesses following public procurement in Cameroon, the ARMP publications remain the best way to track awards. Contracts like this one show both the value of that transparency and its limits when key details are left out.
