Work to upgrade the port of Akula, located about 117 kilometers from Gemena in the province of Sud-Ubangi, was officially launched on March 11, 2026, by interim governor Jean-René Galekwa Vundawe. The project is financed by the Congolese government at a cost of more than $11 million and is being carried out by the firm Envol Construct Lambo SARL, according to national media reports.

Jules Timbisa, a representative of the firm in charge of the project, said the project includes the rehabilitation of port infrastructure and the construction of several facilities aimed at improving port operations. The program includes the construction of a two-story administrative building of approximately 600 square meters to accommodate government offices at the port, a second similar building, and two warehouses for the storage of goods.

The project also includes the construction of a 166-meter reinforced concrete road designed to improve traffic flow and access to the port facilities. Work is expected to be completed within six months.

Strategic objectives

Provincial authorities said the modernization of the port of Akula is part of a broader strategy to revitalize logistics infrastructure in Sud-Ubangi. The objective is to facilitate river transport of goods, particularly the transport of agricultural products to Kinshasa and the delivery of manufactured goods to the province.

The port of Akula is an important logistical hub for trade between the northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo and the capital, primarily through the river network. However, the port’s development still depends partly on the condition of National Road No. 6, which links Zongo, Gemena and Akula, and whose deteriorated condition complicates the transport of goods to the port.

In October 2025, Minister of Infrastructure and Public Works John Banza announced the launch of rehabilitation works on the Gemena-Akula axis, as well as the Ndongo road, saying the necessary funding had been secured for those projects. The restoration of these road corridors is considered an essential complement to the port modernization effort, in order to remove the logistical constraints that continue to hinder economic development in Sud-Ubangi.

Ronsard Luabeya