Cameroon is rich in mining resources, and the development of the mining industry will become an important pillar of future economic development. Cameroon's mining minister has revealed that construction of a railway linking the coast to a large iron ore deposit on the country's border with the Republic of Congo will begin in August 2023.

In 2021, the government of Cameroon signed an agreement with two companies to build a railway to promote the development of the Mbalam-Nabeba iron ore mine. Construction of the railway will begin at the end of August, connecting Cameroon's southern coastal city of Kribi with the town of Ntam, where the Nabeba deposit is located.

Cameroon Mining Minister Fuhe Callistus Gentry said after meeting with mining officials in the Republic of Congo that close cooperation will be carried out to promote the development of iron ore projects. The minister revealed that 12 new mining projects have been identified, five of which will start construction this year. But he gave no details of the project.

The proposed railway will be 500 kilometers long and transport 35 million tons of iron ore per year. The Mbaran-Nabeba iron ore project has a resource of about 775 million tons, and mining has not yet begun.

Cameroon is rich in mineral resources, the main proven minerals are: bauxite (reserves of more than 1.1 billion tons, bauxite grade of 43%, silica grade of 3.4%), iron ore (about 300 million tons), rutile (about 3 million tons, titanium content of 92% to 95%). In addition, there are cassite ore, gold, diamonds, cobalt, nickel, and marble, limestone, mica and other non-metallic minerals. Oil reserves are estimated at more than 100 million tons and natural gas reserves at more than 500 billion cubic meters. Editor/Xu Shengpeng