Sawa Beach project finally takes off after 13 years

Sawa Beach project finally takes off? The question needs to be asked because this project, which was initiated in 2002 under the reign of the resigned Colonel Edouard Etonde Ekotto blamed the 13-year delay on incarceration from the main architect of the project called Communauté Urbaine de Douala (CUD).

It has been disclosed that some professionals or experts involved in this huge Sawa Beach project that rivals that of Oyala located at Equatorial Guinea, will begin construction in less than two years.

A confirmation made by Mathieu Bélanger Consultant CIMA Group, who said that “The construction phase of Sawa Beach infrastructure could start in 20 months, the fourth phase of the feasibility study which has allowed examine the environmental, socio-economic and financial project has concluded that the project is feasible”.

The chief engineer of the Sawa Beach project, Gérard Mandengue, said that “the first step after the feasibility studies will be to lay foundations on the structure to finalize specific revisions, resolve land disputes and establish a coordination unit for the construction work to start in less than two years”.

Ahmadou Sardaouna, Consultant for the project Sawa Beach meanwhile said that "Sawa Beach enable Cameroon have a modern city through Douala that can compete with other world capitals. But above all, it will improve the standard of living of the port city through the creation of thousands of decent jobs.”

Sawa Beach project will cover an area of 1 000 hectares in the three villages that are Dindé, Essangue and Youpwe, for a total cost not yet known, but could well exceed 200 billion FCFA.

Given the opinion of Gérard Mandengue, the only planned shopping center in the Sawa Beach resort for instance will cost a whopping 15 billion FCFA; it is expected to look like that of Dakar in Senegal.

The amounts needed for the construction of modern roads, bridges, roads equipment, an international class hotel, a convention center with conference facilities, a marina, a cultural centre, individual and collective housing, public gardens and games or recreation areas will be included.