Cameroon is set to host its first fully integrated wood manufacturing factory thanks to a major Egyptian investment aimed at tapping into the region’s abundant timber resources.
The new facility, spearheaded by Al-Najjar Advanced Wood Industries—a sister company of Giza Power Group and Giza Cables—marks a significant milestone in Egyptian-Cameroonian industrial cooperation.
With a $14 million investment backing its initial phase, the factory will produce a range of wood products, including veneer, panels, and wooden doors tailored for markets across Central and West Africa.
The project is designed to capitalise on Cameroon’s rich and rare wood species, positioning the factory as a key supplier within the African wood sector.
Dr. Yasser El-Sharkawy, Chairman of the Egyptian-African Businessmen Association (EABA), highlighted the broader role of the association as a bridge fostering business collaboration between Egypt and Africa.
“The association serves as a link and a modern international model for business organizations on the continent, working to provide facilitation and information to all, and to communicate effectively with all counterparts in the African private sector,” he said, acknowledging the critical support from Egyptian official diplomacy.
“The current period is witnessing the fruits of the efforts exerted over five consecutive years,” El-Sharkawy added, describing the Cameroon wood factory as a nucleus for further expansion across Africa.
He also praised Egyptian state agencies, including Ambassador Dalia Fayez and the mission’s staff in Cameroon, for their instrumental role in overcoming obstacles to realise this success.
Engineer Mohamed Elnagar, Chairman of Elnagar Advanced Wood Industries, announced plans to participate in the foundation stone laying ceremony at the ARISE industrial zone in Douala on July 24, which will also mark the inauguration of the new facility—named Debamba Wood Industrial, after one of Cameroon’s rivers.
Covering an area of 15,000 cubic meters, the factory is expected to generate 250 jobs and will be managed and supervised by Egyptian experts, cementing a vital Egyptian-Cameroonian partnership set to boost economic ties and industrial growth in the region.
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