The North West sports fraternity is brimming with anticipation as Prime Minister Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute is expected in Bamenda this week to officially commission the newly completed Bamenda Proximity Stadium. The much-awaited event has stirred excitement across the region, with athletes, football lovers, and local stakeholders seeing it as a rare gleam of hope in a city long scarred by conflict and infrastructural stagnation.
Built with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to the tone of over one billion frans as part of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North West and South West regions (PPRD-NW/SW), the stadium is already being hailed as a symbol of sports infrastructure progress in the region. While the UNDP remains the principal sponsor, the Bamenda I Council is reported to have played a crucial co-sponsoring role.
Located in Ntaafi Bamendakwe, a suburb of Bamenda, the stadium features a synthetic football pitch, perimeter fencing, changing rooms, sanitary facilities, and modest stands for players and spectators. Sports officials say its availability will greatly enhance community football, provide a safe and modern space for youth sports development, and potentially host national and regional matches.
North West Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique Tchoffo Deben has visited the stadium site on two separate occasions in the last one week, accompanied by security and technical teams. His visits were reportedly aimed at ensuring the site's full readiness ahead of the Prime Minister's arrival.
“This stadium is not just a field. It is a statement that life is returning to Bamenda — slowly but surely. We have waited long for this. Young people need safe places to dream and train.” — Kelvin Kefuyin, a sports promoter
The Prime Minister’s visit, his third official mission to the region since the armed conflict began in 2016, is expected to include engagements with traditional rulers, political and religious leaders as he chairs the 7th Session of the Steering Committee of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North West (PPRD-NW), and an inspection of other ongoing reconstruction projects. However, the commissioning of the stadium appears to be the emotional highlight for many in the region, especially given the limitations imposed on sporting activities over the last several years.
Still, for the sports community, there is reason to celebrate. Football, often described as a universal language, remains a source of unity in the region. Many young athletes and coaches are already lining up opportunities to test the turf, while others plan to organise inter-quarter friendlies in the coming weeks.