The long standing challenge in Bamenda has not been production alone, but the absence of structured systems to move goods beyond local consumption. For years, trade in the North West Region has remained fragmented, largely informal and constrained by limited storage, processing and distribution capacity. The Mutan Market project now seeks to address that gap by introducing infrastructure aligned with formal export and import operations.
Developed under the North West Regional Assembly as part of a broader dry port vision and financed through the PROLOG programme with World Bank backing, the Mutan Market is being positioned as a logistics and commercial node where goods can be aggregated, stored, processed and distributed within a coordinated system.
At the centre of this approach is the integration of warehousing and customs related facilities. The project includes plans for an external customs clearance warehouse and precinct, designed to handle goods entering and leaving the region through structured channels. This is intended to reduce bottlenecks often associated with informal trade while improving compliance with regulatory standards required for wider market access.
Contractor Edison Fru Ndi, Chief Executive of Dreamland Connect, describes the market as a dual structure combining retail visibility with logistical depth.
“The market will be more of the showroom and then the warehouse,” he said, explaining that the sheds will host wholesalers and distributors while the warehouse component supports storage and bulk movement of goods.
The Mutan Market will feature 57 sheds, each expected to accommodate commercial operators who will serve as distribution points for products originating from within and outside the industrial zone. This configuration is designed to create a predictable flow of goods, reducing inefficiencies that often arise from scattered trading points.
Beyond trade logistics, the project also incorporates value addition through a food transformation unit. This facility is expected to support processing activities that enhance the quality and shelf life of agricultural produce, a critical factor in preparing goods for longer distance markets. By improving handling and processing, producers are better positioned to meet the requirements of external buyers.
The broader context of the industrial zone adds weight to this development. In previous years, the area struggled to attract sustained industrial activity despite the presence of basic infrastructure. A lack of coordinated commercial systems limited its appeal to investors seeking integrated environments for production and distribution.
The Mutan Market is now attempting to provide that missing link. By aligning physical infrastructure with trade facilitation mechanisms, it introduces the conditions necessary for goods to move beyond local circulation into regional and potentially cross border markets.
There is also a strategic economic dimension to this positioning. By functioning as part of a dry port framework, the market is expected to interface with transport and logistics networks that connect inland production zones to external trade routes. This could gradually place Bamenda within established import and export corridors, reducing reliance on informal pathways.
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According to Edison Fru Ndi, the opportunity extends beyond infrastructure. He points to the region’s untapped resources and the potential for local branding to support external trade. Initiatives such as locally identified product lines are seen as a way to build identity and competitiveness in broader markets.
The expected outcome is a gradual integration of Bamenda into formal trade systems. With warehousing, customs handling and structured distribution in place, businesses operating within the Mutan Market could gain improved access to national supply chains and cross border opportunities.
If successfully implemented, the project could mark a shift from isolated local commerce to a more connected economic model, where production, processing and trade are aligned within a single ecosystem. In that scenario, Bamenda’s industrial zone would no longer function as dormant land, but as a gateway linking the region to wider commercial networks.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web
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