Procurement Delays and Project Outcomes in Cameroon's Airport Sector

Abstract

Public infrastructure delivery in sub-Saharan Africa is repeatedly undermined by delays that originate not on the construction site but in the procurement process that precedes it. This article examines the relationship between procurement delays and project outcomes in Cameroon's airport sector, drawing on documentary evidence from the Transport Sector Development Project (PDST), the ongoing modernisation of Douala International Airport, and the regulatory reform of Cameroon's public contracts system. The study is framed by transaction cost economics, principal-agent theory, and the time-cost-quality model of project success, and it employs a qualitative, case-based documentary design that triangulates World Bank implementation reports, government procurement guidance, and industry news coverage. Findings indicate that procurement delays in Cameroon's airport sector are driven primarily by fragmented institutional responsibility between the Ministry of Public Contracts (MINMAP) and the procurement regulatory authority, protracted contractor disputes and cancelled awards, slow disbursement and counterpart-funding bottlenecks, compliance requirements imposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and, until recently, a heavy reliance on paper-based tendering. These delays translate into schedule slippage of several years beyond appraisal targets, cost escalation, deferred safety and security certification, and diminished stakeholder confidence. The article concludes that digitalisation of procurement through the Cameroon Online E-Procurement System, clearer division of authority between MINMAP and the regulator, and stronger front-end project preparation are central to improving airport project outcomes, and it offers recommendations for policy and practice accordingly.