The Bamenda City Council has successfully adopted its 2025 Administrative, Management, and Stores Accounts, revealing a total realized income of 3.1 billion CFA francs. This figure represents 62% of the projected revenue, a feat City Mayor Paul Achobong attributes to the growing atmosphere of peace within the municipality.
The council successfully executed several key projects in 2025, including the construction of a dam and reservoir near the Governor’s junction, the rehabilitation of the new road to Mayor’s Street stretch, and the maintenance of several earth roads in Mankon rural and Bamendakwe.
To bolster future public works, the council also invested in new heavy machinery, specifically an excavator and a compactor.
During the session held on April 13, 2026, Mayor Achobong highlighted that improved security has allowed the council to access and develop areas that were previously unreachable, such as the rural outskirts of Mile 6 Mankon, Nsongwa, Chomba, and Mbatu.
Beyond roadworks, the city has made significant strides in terms of waste management. The Mayor announced that the ongoing battle against street litter will soon be bolstered by the distribution of tricycles to various quarters, ensuring a cleaner urban environment.
However, some essential projects remain in the pipeline, including the installation of transformers in Mulang and Alamatu, as well as a box culvert construction at New GRA.
In a simultaneous extraordinary session, councillors voted to adjust the 2026 budget following a significant windfall. A sum of 830 million CFA francs, originally scheduled for the rehabilitation of the Bamenda airport road, became available after the state-led Génie Militaire completed the work.
The council resolved to redistribute these funds toward the maintenance of existing road infrastructure, the opening of new roads, the purchase of a heavy standby distributor, and providing stipends for volunteers who have rendered services to the council. This budgetary shift is intended to maximize the impact of municipal funds on the daily lives of the population.
The council session also served as a mobilization platform for the upcoming historic visit of Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, April 16, 2026. The Senior Divisional Officer – SDO for Mezam, Simon Emile Mooh, called on all citizens—regardless of religious affiliation—to come out in mass to receive the pontiff’s blessings.
Mayor Achobong expressed high hopes that the papal visit would serve as a catalyst for transforming the Bamenda airport into an international hub, urging the community to demonstrate maturity and maintain peace to ensure the airport remains fully functional for future global travel.
As the council looks toward the 2027 elections, the SDO congratulated the councillors on a smooth final administrative session before facing the electorate. With the security situation stabilizing, the focus remains on sustaining development and ensuring the completion of pending utility projects.
The council’s ability to pivot its budget and execute complex infrastructure tasks reflects a renewed administrative vigor, positioning Bamenda for a period of reconstruction and economic growth as it prepares to welcome both the Pope and the next electoral cycle.
