In a region scarred by armed conflict, school boycotts, and disrupted livelihoods, the question of how to sustain development remains pressing. The North West Regional Assembly closed its September session in Bamenda with a clear answer: a consolidated medium-term budgetary framework stretching to 2028, designed to anchor stability and rebuild trust in public institutions.
Assembly President, Prof. Fru Angwafo III, described the framework as both a compass for the region’s recovery. Moving from basket funding heavily reliant on state subsidies to structured revenue sources defined by law, the Assembly now has the tools to plan more realistically.
“This framework gives visibility to our work plans and flexibility to adapt them. It is not just a financial guide. It is a roadmap for livelihoods,” he told councillors, administrators, and traditional rulers at the closing plenary.
The projections are ambitious. From a starting budget of around 3 billion FCFA in 2021, the Assembly’s resources are expected to rise to 14 billion FCFA by 2028. More than numbers, the assembly leader argued, the framework provides space to prioritise human-centred programmes in education, health, and social welfare alongside structural and physical development projects.
“Having positive budgetary growth is one thing; ensuring it translates into better lives is another. Our resolve is to link every figure to a face in this region,” he said.
Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique, who attended the closing session, praised the Assembly’s persistence in maintaining all statutory sessions despite the region’s instability. He framed the budget orientation as proof that decentralisation under Cameroon’s “Special Status” is yielding fruit.
“Despite challenges and limited means, the Assembly has sustained its mandate. This framework shows resilience, and it must be matched by continued peace and collaboration in our communities,” the governor stated.
The ordinary session also spotlighted the Assembly’s investment in human capital, capped by the awarding of cash and material prizes to outstanding students across the seven divisions of the region. To observers, the gesture reinforced the connection between budgetary planning and long-term social endurance.
Yet, the framework comes with its own challenges. Conflict and insecurity still threaten implementation, with roadblocks, lockdowns, and displacement slowing down projects. Prof Fru Angwafo acknowledged this reality but insisted that fragile peace must be protected to give the plan a chance.
“Development is not just about figures and resolutions. It is about maintaining the fragile peace that allows children to learn, farmers to work, and communities to breathe again,” he said.
As the Assembly’s first mandate winds down, the 2026–2028 budgetary framework is being positioned as both a legacy and a springboard. For the people of the North West, it offers a statement of intent: that even amidst crisis, the region is charting its future with education, inclusion, and resilience at the centre.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom
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