A new management team at the helm of SOCADEL

Appointed on May 4 by decree of President Paul Biya, the management team of Société Camerounaise d'Électricité, abbreviated SOCADEL, was officially installed on May 5, 2026. The new managers take office this Friday, May 8, at a double ceremony presided over by the Minister of Water and Energy in the Littoral region.

At the head of this new structure, Antoine Ntsimi inherits the chair of the Board of Directors. At his side, Oumarou Hamandjoda, former Executive Vice President of’Eneo, takes over the reins of the company as General Manager. Jean Basile Ekobena completes the management trio as Executive Vice-President. This team is particularly eagerly awaited in the sensitive electricity sector, which is regularly at the heart of Cameroonians' concerns.

Re-nationalization of the electricity sector raises expectations

In the corridors of the energy sector, this change appears to be a real turning point. Behind the new name of SOCADEL, Above all, the Cameroonian government is demonstrating its determination to regain full control of a strategic sector. A presidential decree signed on May 4, 2026, The French government has officially renationalized the company, following the purchase of Eneo's shares held by the British fund Actis. The operation, estimated at nearly 78 billion FCFA, marks the complete return of the State to electricity management. The company's head office remains in Douala. Its share capital is valued at around 43.9 billion FCFA. The new management team also includes representatives from the Presidency of the Republic, the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministries of Energy, Finance and the Economy. The Managing Directors of SONATREL and EDC also sit on the Board of Directors.

Major challenges for the new management team

Beyond the appointments and official ceremonies, expectations remain high. Repeated power cuts, disruptions to distribution, aging infrastructure and limited access to energy in certain localities: SOCADEL has inherited some particularly sensitive issues. The new team will have to quickly reassure the population and businesses hoping for a concrete improvement in service quality. Modernizing facilities, stabilizing energy supply and extending the power grid are among the main challenges facing the new managers. With the effective assumption of office by the new management team on May 8, SOCADEL officially enters a new era, under the watchful eye of Cameroonians.

Anita MENOUNGA