Consistent first place ranking in the North West reflects a year of
intensive delivery, community focus and disciplined local governance.
Nkambe Council ended 2025 with its strongest endorsement yet, emerging overall first as the North West Region’s best performing council in the execution of Public Investment Projects. The annual regional rankings, published on 2 January 2026 by the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development in Bamenda, confirm that Nkambe has now held the top position for five consecutive years.
The ranking provides a clear entry point for reviewing the council’s activities in 2025. Across infrastructure, social services, environmental management and participatory governance, the year was characterised less by announcements and more by execution on the ground.
One of the most visible areas of investment in 2025 was basic education.
Following the devastating tornado that destroyed several classroom blocks at
GPS Group II Nkambe in June, the council mobilised swiftly, working with
government services and elected representatives to secure emergency
reconstruction. New classroom and administrative blocks were constructed within
months, allowing the 2025–2026 school year to begin under stable conditions.
Beyond emergency response, the council renovated and furnished classrooms in
Konchep, Moh and Ngotang in Binka, in some cases reviving facilities abandoned
for more than a decade. Head teachers across the municipality also received
minimum back to school packages to support effective reopening, reinforcing the
council’s emphasis on learning conditions as a development priority.
Investment in market infrastructure formed another pillar of 2025 activities. At the Nkambe New Market, four modern blocks comprising 84 sheds were completed and officially received in September. Allocation was preceded by broad consultations with traders, followed by transparent individual attribution of sheds.
With demand exceeding supply, the council immediately launched technical
studies for additional sheds, alongside plans for a new market and park at
Nyanji. Elsewhere in town, long neglected urban spaces were transformed into
modern commercial structures, contributing to local revenue generation and
improved town planning.
Potable water projects featured prominently in the council’s execution
record. Communities in Binshua, Saah and Binju benefited from water initiatives
delivered through partnerships with Caritas, religious missions and local
populations. In Binju, the council complemented a donated water project with
financial support for sustainability, while similar commitments were made in
Saah and Binshua.
Sanitation efforts were scaled up through the acquisition of modern waste
collection trucks and equipment, the launch of “Clean Habits, Clean City”
campaigns and regular community clean up exercises. These actions were backed
by training of hygiene staff and public sensitisation, aligning environmental
management with the council’s wider modernisation agenda.
Throughout 2025, the council linked infrastructure delivery with social
cohesion. Mayor Nfor Musa Shey took part in interfaith activities, including
large scale prayers for peace with Catholic women of the Kumbo Diocese and
celebrations with the Muslim community during Ramadan and Eid.
Youth, sports and cultural initiatives also received support. Local football
teams representing the Wimbum community were backed during regional
tournaments, while inclusive socio cultural competitions under the Presidential
Reconstruction Plan, implemented with UNDP, promoted resilience and peaceful
coexistence.
Support to vulnerable groups featured strongly, with persons living with disabilities benefiting from vocational training and start up assistance, and women’s groups receiving agricultural inputs aimed at income generation and food security.
Institutional governance underpinned the council’s execution record. In
February 2025, the council adopted its 2024 administrative and management
accounts, which showed over 80 percent revenue and expenditure execution,
alongside improved staff welfare and social insurance compliance.
Participatory budget orientation debates held in July and November 2025
brought together sector ministries, traditional rulers, civil society, women
and youth groups. These discussions fed into the adoption of the 2026 budget,
balanced at FCFA 1.39 billion, representing an increase over 2025 and
reflecting confidence in the council’s absorption capacity.
Councillors unanimously endorsed the updated 2026–2030 Council Development
Plan, setting out priorities in roads, markets, education, health, renewable
energy and environmental protection.
Beyond the January 2026 ranking, 2025 brought national recognition. Nkambe
Council received FCFA 50 million as one of Cameroon’s best model councils for
public project execution, while Mayor Nfor Musa Shey was honoured as Best Mayor
of the Year 2024 at a national awards ceremony.
For many observers, Nkambe’s sustained first place ranking over five years
is less about isolated projects and more about consistency. Close supervision,
community engagement, collaboration with state services and a strong execution
culture have defined the council’s approach.
As the municipality enters 2026, the 2025 review anchored on public investment performance offers a clear message. In Nkambe, development has been measured not by promises made, but by projects delivered and maintained.
By Bakah Derick online
Tel: +237 694 71 85 77
