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The Star
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Feature: Chinese solar products light up lives of Cameroonians
by Arison Tamfu, Wang Ze YAOUNDE, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Power shortage had long been a pain for Emmanuel Tabe, a resident of Buea, the chief town of Cameroon's Southwest Region. "Sometimes we did not have power for two or three weeks. The refrigerator didn't work. Food was getting bad every day, and my children couldn't study at night," said the 44-year-old father of four. That has now become a thing of the past, thanks to solar products from China. These days, streetlights powered by solar systems are a common sight in Buea, where Tabe is fondly known as "the China solar man." About eight years ago, he learned about solar products and started travelling to China to buy and sell them to locals in Cameroon. His family now relies on solar power for lighting, cooking and air conditioning. "One major advantage is that we have power all day long," Tabe said. At his home warehouse, solar panels, batteries, and inverters are all made in China. "Most solar products in Cameroon come from China," he said. "If you use them properly, they last a long time." "Prices are very affordable. Installing solar is not expensive," Tabe said. Dickson Njamshi, who also deals in solar products in Buea, said people now feel much safer at night, with well-functioning streetlights. "People were afraid to go out at night due to the darkness. Now, people are out and about at night, and the nighttime economy is also growing," he said. "Solar energy has brought life to Buea, and I think it is getting better," said the 33-year-old whose shop is just a few meters from Tabe's. Marie Njie, who came to buy a solar battery from Njamshi's shop, said solar products from China have made life much easier. "I pump water and cook using solar power. It's very easy and affordable. I no longer wait for electricity," she said. Another customer, 28-year-old Dieudonne Mbah, concurred: "Since the advent of these solar panels, we have enjoyed uninterrupted power day and night. Children now study at night, and everything is just so easy-going." In the capital, Yaounde, Wilmosolar prides itself as one of Cameroon's biggest solar engineering firms. The company imports two to four containers of solar products a year from China, said Arnaud Igor Tchokote, Wilmosolar's marketing director. "China is the leader in the production of photovoltaic solar panels. By importing from China, we do so at a lower cost compared to importing from Europe or America," he said. "China provides us with good quality panels at a lower cost." The introduction of solar products from China has ushered in a golden era of regular electricity supply, greatly boosting Cameroon's quest to increase electricity production and boost industrialization, Tchokote said. "More than three years ago, there were fewer than 100 companies operating in the photovoltaic sector. Today, there are more than 200, and these 200 companies employ young Cameroonians, who also contribute in their own way to the growth of the economy while filling the energy deficit gap in our country," he said. "This is a plus for us. It contributes both economically and socially," Tchokote said. "China is the leading supplier of all equipment. It's a plus for us to approach China, and it's beneficial for both parties." Tabe said the demand for electricity will continue to rise in Cameroon, and clean energy will play a vital role in the country's drive for industrialization. According to the Ministry of Water and Energy, Cameroon aims to expand its solar capacity to 250 megawatts by the year 2030.
The Star
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Feature: Chinese firm lauded as road emergency responder in Cameroon
by Arison Tamfu, Wang Ze YAOUNDE, May 19 (Xinhua) -- In Cameroon's West Region, a narrow and steep road near the town of Dschang, connecting the region to the country's commercial hub of Douala, has been a source of despair and agony. Locally referred to as "La Falaise," meaning "the cliff" in French, the road is also known to locals as the "death path." "(About) 100 people have died on this road," said Mathias Djoumessi Wamba, traditional leader of Foreke village, where the road is located. In November last year, at least 11 bodies were recovered after three passenger buses, road equipment, and several workers were buried in a landslide on a steep hill along the cliff road. After the collapse, vehicles could not pass through the road, and people had to make a detour of 110 km from the Littoral Region, where Douala is located, to Dschang. "All activities on the road halted, negatively affecting socio-economic life," Wamba said. The Cameroonian government needed an urgent solution and sought the expertise of China First Highway Engineering Co., Ltd. (CFHEC), a Chinese infrastructure engineering company best known for its involvement in road construction projects. "After receiving the government's rescue mission, the company quickly organized workers and mechanical resources to rush to the landslide site. And it took only one day to open the temporary traffic road, allowing people and vehicles to circulate," said Zheng Haichen, director of the Cameroon Office of CFHEC. When Xinhua visited the site, a group of Chinese engineers accompanied by local engineers were busy building a new road away from the mountain to prevent a similar disaster in the future. "The total length of the new road is 266 meters," Zheng said. "When we learned that this project had been awarded to a Chinese company, it was a great satisfaction for us because we know the rigor of their work," said Wamba. "If it's a Chinese company, we're sure this road will be of good quality." Wamba's sentiments echo those of many Cameroonians who praise Chinese firms for their efficient construction of roads and bridges across the central African country. In May 2024, Essama Embolo, mayor of Soa, a town located on the outskirts of Yaounde, the national capital, requested CFHEC's assistance in repairing a bridge connecting the northern and southern neighborhoods that had been eroded by heavy rains. After four days of work, the team successfully completed a new bridge capable of carrying heavy trucks. Embolo sent a special letter of gratitude to the company. "Chinese companies such as CFHEC are excellent partners. As long as the Cameroonian government needs them, they can work with the government to carry out a series of rescue operations, like a fire-fighting team," said Minister of Public Works Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi. "From the Nyong River Bridge to the Dschang cliff road, from the National Highway No. 3 to the Douala Municipal Road, Chinese companies always give the government a sense of relief," the minister added.
