As the curtains opened on the first day of the North-West Economic Forum (NWEF) in Bamenda, the message from the region’s leaders, technocrats and institutional allies was unified and resolute indicating that the North-West must craft its own renaissance with clarity, courage and coordination.
Held under the theme “From resilience to renaissance: strategies for the economic transformation of the North-West Region,” the forum’s early panels delivered powerful reflections and calls to action, mapping a shared vision for economic recovery in a region still navigating the ruins of prolonged conflict.
The opening panel, themed “Resilience, Recovery and Rebranding,” set the tone. Hon. Jude Waindim, Questor at the North-West Regional Assembly and former Secretary General of Bamenda City Council, assured participants that the Assembly was more than a policy body and that it was an active development partner. He highlighted ongoing peace and recovery projects spearheaded by the NWRA, positioning the institution as a central actor in rebuilding resilient communities.
The session also welcomed insights from Mary Nyuyinui of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), who underscored the UN’s commitment to financing peacebuilding in fragile contexts like the North-West. With her institution's policy of building back better, she called for structured partnerships that integrate community needs and development goals.
Vivian Kukah, speaking on regional rebranding, pushed for a deliberate repositioning of the North-West in the eyes of investors, tourists and the diaspora.
Prof. Fru Fobuzshi Angwafo III, President of the NWRA, wove the session’s threads together, noting that political will, local leadership and collective action would be the foundation of transformation.
In the ministerial panel that followed, central government officials outlined a clearer national roadmap for renewal. Prof Kelly Mua, representing the Ministry of Finance, detailed fiscal strategies for regional recovery. Their messages struck a chord: government is ready but the region must organise itself to absorb and multiply opportunity.
The afternoon infrastructure panel turned attention to the hard realities of roads, energy and digital access. Jude Numfor, an advocate for decentralised energy, presented mini-grids and renewables as viable solutions for off-grid communities in the region with samples in Nwa and communities near Magba in the west region . His call to leverage the region’s natural energy capacity drew wide applause.
From the Ministry of Public Works, engineer Ngwainbi Paul revealed that there are proposals for Botswana’s road development model to be a potential reference for rejuvenating road networks in the North-West through the Regional Assembly being one of the most battered elements of the region’s infrastructure.
But it was the voice of a delicate sector that gave the most urgent challenge. Shinwinsoh Boma Donatus, General Manager of the Investment Promotion Agency (API)., urged North-West entrepreneurs to step up and seize the moment.
“You cannot be an entrepreneur and you do not know API. My institution is ready to support you but you must show up, prepared and bold,” he charged.
With each panel came a common thread indicating that the North-West is not waiting for others to fix it. Through committed partnerships, practical solutions and bold vision, the region is slowly but surely scripting its journey from resilience to renaissance on its own terms.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom
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