Cameroon’s richest man Baba Ahmadou Danpullo is preparing to invest CFA500 billion ($871 million) to launch a private airline and build two airports, a project that ranks among the biggest investments of his career and comes close to the value of his estimated personal fortune.

The 76-year-old businessman, who is also the richest person in Francophone sub-Saharan Africa, plans to establish Danpullo Air Line, a privately owned carrier that will initially connect all 10 regions of Cameroon before expanding to major cities across the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), which includes Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, and Chad.

The planned investment is almost equal to Danpullo’s estimated $900 million fortune, making it one of the largest personal commitments by an African billionaire to a single infrastructure project. The latest move goes beyond launching an airline. It also includes plans to build private airports in Yaoundé and Douala.

Danpullo diversifies portfolio with aviation venture

Construction of the Yaoundé airport is expected to begin in September 2026, with commercial operations targeted for 2030. Cameroonian news outlet Camer.be reported that the project will be financed through a mix of Danpullo’s own capital, private investors, and funding from American and European banks.

The timing is notable as Cameroon continues to face challenges in its aviation industry. State-owned Camair-Co remains the country’s only major airline but has struggled with an aging fleet and recurring operational problems. In September 2025, the carrier leased a Boeing 737-800 from Czech airline Smartwings to keep scheduled services running, underscoring the difficulties facing the national airline.

Against that backdrop, Danpullo is presenting his airline as a private-sector alternative aimed at improving domestic air travel while strengthening links between Cameroon and neighboring CEMAC countries. The aviation project also marks the latest step in the expansion of a business group that already spans agriculture, telecommunications, real estate, logistics and transport.

Inside Danpullo’s billion-dollar portfolio

Born in Cameroon’s Northwest Region, Danpullo started his career in tea farming and transport before moving into commodity imports in the 1980s. His business gained scale after he secured import licenses for rice and flour, backed by financing that helped him build one of the country’s largest trading operations.

He later expanded through the Baba Ahmadou Group, building businesses in Cameroon, South Africa, Nigeria and Switzerland with investments across agriculture, telecommunications, logistics and commercial real estate.

Among his biggest assets is Ndawara Highland Tea Estate, one of Central Africa’s largest tea producers. He also owns a 49 percent stake in Nexttel, Cameroon’s third-largest mobile network operator. Since its launch in 2014, Nexttel has invested about CFA250 billion ($411.5 million) in telecommunications infrastructure, serving millions of subscribers and creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

Agriculture remains a major part of Danpullo’s holdings. His Elba Ranch manages more than 20,000 cattle alongside thousands of horses, sheep, and goats, while his tea estates cover more than 10,000 hectares and produce about 8,000 tons of tea each year, most of it destined for export markets.

Strategic bet redefines logistics sector dominance

Beyond this, Baba Ahmadou Danpullo’s transport interests have also continued to grow. In 2024, he launched Société Cameroon Port Operators, adding maritime logistics to a portfolio that increasingly focuses on transport and infrastructure.

Even so, the airline project faces significant hurdles. Building two airports will require regulatory approvals, large-scale construction, and aviation certification before flights can begin. Once operational, Danpullo Air Line will also compete with established international carriers, including Air France, Brussels Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Royal Air Maroc, all of which already operate services to Cameroon.

If the project moves ahead on schedule, it would give Cameroon one of Central Africa’s first large privately owned airlines, offering a new option alongside the state’s aviation sector. For Danpullo, whose businesses stretch from tea plantations to telecommunications networks and ports, it would be the largest investment of his career.