Cameroon Reclaims Port Sovereignty from SGS

.Cameroon Reclaims Economic Sovereignty at Douala Port

Following a decade of security gaps and operational delays under SGS management, Cameroon replaces the Swiss giant to restore national border integrity.

 A significant shift in Africa’s maritime logistics occurred on January 2nd as the Port of Douala (PAD) officially transitioned its scanning operations to a new operator, Transatlantic D. This move marks more than just a change in service providers; it signals Cameroon’s determination to end a period of compromised sovereignty and technical stagnation under the local leadership of Patricia Nzondjou, SGS Managing Director for French-speaking Central Africa.

A Legacy of Operational Failure

The non-renewal of the SGS scanning contract, which expired in 2025, follows a damning audit of the previous decade. Under the 2015 agreement, SGS was mandated to deploy a comprehensive scanning solution within 10 months. Instead, it took the Swiss firm nearly seven years to render only four scanners operational.

Beyond delays, the lack of maintenance and technical "blind spots" created severe national security risks. Reports indicate that at least one container carrying unauthorized military equipment bypassed inspections due to equipment failure. By prioritizing a high-volume billing model over preventive security, the previous management left the nation’s primary economic gateway vulnerable to illicit trafficking and revenue loss.

The PSRD-NG: The Final Frontier of Dependence

While the scanning contract has been terminated, the PSRD-NG (Customs Revenue Securing Program) remains a point of contention. This ongoing contract effectively delegates core sovereign functions—such as customs valuation and risk analysis—to a private foreign entity.

Critics argue that this creates a dangerous "data hostage" situation, where the Cameroonian state remains technologically dependent on a third party to assess its own fiscal revenues. Furthermore, governance concerns have emerged regarding the dual role of local leadership, which allegedly holds interests in the parent company, raising questions about the impartiality of customs-related decisions.

Restoring National Trust

The transition to Transatlantic D, an operator with a proven seven-year track record at the Port of Kribi, represents a move toward the "100% Scanning" model. Unlike the previous selective approach, this new era ensures every cargo unit is inspected, audited, and traceable.

For the Cameroonian government, the message is clear: national security and fiscal independence are no longer for sale. The reclaiming of the Douala Port scanning operations is the first step in a broader strategy to ensure that strategic infrastructure serves the State’s interests above private profit.