Tiko
The CDC plantation town, between Douala and Mount Cameroon
South-West Region (capital: Buéa) · Fako department (capital: Limbé)
Where is Tiko?
Tiko is in the South-West Region of Cameroon, about 60 km from Douala by road.
Tiko is the capital of the subdivision of the same name, in the Fako division, whose capital is Limbe, in the South-West region. It had 60,796 inhabitants at the 2005 census, ranking nineteenth among the country's cities; the council area, which also takes in Mutengene and Likomba, counted 117,884. A port town on the edge of the estuary's creeks and mangroves, it lies on the road linking Douala with Limbe and Buea.
History and origin of the name
The Bakweri originally called the place "Keka". It grew as a market town for Duala fishermen and for Bakweri farmers and hunters from the surrounding area. The plantations set up around Mount Cameroon under German rule passed to the British after the First World War, who brought them together in 1947 as the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC). The airport, built by the British, served West Cameroon before it was closed.
What to see
- The Likomba golf course, an 18-hole course described as the oldest in the country, which hosts major tournaments in the dry season.
- The creeks and mangroves of the coast, including the Motombolobo district, the main place where mangrove wood, known as "matanda", is cut and sold.
- Mount Cameroon, at whose foot the town lies and which towers over the Tiko plain.
Economy and local life
Much of the council area is taken up by CDC plantations producing rubber, palm oil and bananas; the corporation's Tiko rubber factory, on the Douala–Limbe road, is the largest of the three it runs. The disused airport is due to be replaced: in 2023 the government chose a site at Misselele, within the subdivision, for a new airfield.
What to eat
Tiko lies in Bakweri country, whose signature dish is kwacoco, steamed grated cocoyam, served with palm nut soup.
Practical information
Tiko is about 25 kilometres from Buea and Limbe, and 60 kilometres from Douala by road; its airport no longer handles flights. CDC plantations have been targeted by separatists in the Anglophone crisis: on 10 February 2023, an attack on a lorry carrying its workers killed at least five people and injured dozens. The security situation should be checked before any trip.
Distances by road
Approximate distances, city centre to city centre. Travel time depends heavily on road conditions and traffic.