The industrial project
USD 122 million consolidated investment · 45,000 tonnes of tilapia produced annually at full capacity · Three autonomous operational entities.
Industrial architecture
PROAQUI applies a matrix-based vertical integration model unprecedented in Central Africa. Rather than a sequential chain in which each link depends on the previous one within a single flow, the project rests on three parallel operational loops.
This three-parallel-loop architecture eliminates unrealistic logistical flows — such as transporting fresh fish over 600 kilometers between aquaculture sites and a centralized processing facility. It guarantees full operational resilience: any localized incident on one of the three entities does not paralyze the other two. By design, this is a Business Continuity Plan superior to any centralized architecture.
Species and genetics
PROAQUI selected the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), GIFT-9 strain — the ninth generation of the Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia program led since 1988 by WorldFish-ICLARM in Malaysia. It is the most thoroughly documented strain in the world, used by industry-leading operators: Regal Springs in Indonesia, Lake Harvest in Zimbabwe, Yalelo in Zambia.
| Species | Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) |
| Strain | GIFT-9 (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia, 9th generation) |
| Genetic source | WorldFish-ICLARM (Malaysia), program initiated in 1988 |
| Sex ratio | All-male monosex ≥ 95% via approved 17α-methyltestosterone protocol |
| Production cycle | 180 to 210 days (6 to 7 months), from 5–10 g fingerling to 700 g harvest |
| Target FCR | 1.7 (international industry benchmark 1.5–1.8) |
| Internal hatchery output | 60M fingerlings/year Mbakaou + 30M/year Nyong (Mfou-CODAM) |
| Cage standard | Regal Springs Lake Toba — 18 m diameter × 6 m HDPE — 130 t/cage/year |
| Project reference | Species recommendation note ZG-DAF-2026-NRO-001 |
Industrial trajectory
PROAQUI rolls out in two distinct industrial phases, aligned with the progressive mobilization of the financing round. Phase 1 mobilizes FCFA 42.5 billion (USD 70 million) and reaches a commercial capacity of 15,000 tonnes per year by Year 3 (Commercial Operation Date contractually set on 1 July 2028). Phase 2 mobilizes an additional FCFA 30.8 billion (USD 51 million) and brings commercial capacity to 45,000 tonnes per year by Year 7 (COD on 1 July 2032).
| Year | Production | Operational cages | Phase / Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Y1 | Construction | 0 | Phase 1 — Studies and civil works |
| Y2 | Ramp-up | ~ 100 | Phase 1 — Mbakaou cages launch |
| Y3 | 15,000 t | 231 (Mbakaou) | Phase 1 COD — 1 July 2028 |
| Y5 | 25,000 t | ~ 280 | Phase 2 — Nyong launch |
| Y7 | 45,000 t | 346 (231 + 115) | Phase 2 COD — 1 July 2032 — Steady state |
At Year 7, in steady state, the project shows a target project Internal Rate of Return of 22.4%, an average target Debt Service Coverage Ratio of 1.64x, and a Weighted Average Cost of Capital of 6.7%. PROAQUI's share of total Cameroonian fish consumption remains modest at 6.3%, confirming the absence of local market saturation risk and the relevance of the CEMAC export strategy to absorb additional Phase 2 volumes.
Territorial architecture
5,380 hectares granted by the Republic of Cameroon, of which 4,500 ha grow maize and soy under center-pivot irrigation. Bühler 160 tpd feed plant, 150,000 tpa across three lines. 60,000 t storage. CEMAC distribution platform.
Mbakaou hydroelectric reservoir (operated by EDC). Score 87/100. 231 Regal Springs cages (18 m diameter × 6 m HDPE, 130 t/cage/year). 60M fingerlings/year hatchery. 30 ktpa processing. EDC agreement under negotiation.
Akonolinga–Olama river sections. Score 67/100. 115 Regal Springs floating cages. Satellite hatchery in Mfou under operational partnership with CODAM (12,000 tpa announced). 15 ktpa processing.
A strict architectural rule
The DIR Hub hosts no hatchery, no floating cages, and no aquaculture processing unit. These functions are operated exclusively at the Mbakaou and Nyong aquaculture sites, each of which has its own site-level hatchery and its own processing unit.
This strict separation is not a constraint but a deliberate design. It guarantees full self-sufficiency of the aquaculture sites in fingerling production — the species produced by the hatcheries are exactly those raised in the adjacent cages. It eliminates long-distance fresh-fish flows, which would have been technically unrealistic and economically unsustainable. It finally preserves the multi-regional territorial anchoring of the project, a precondition for social acceptability and the creation of local jobs.