When the results of the 2026 North West Regional Clean City Competition were announced, there were few surprises.

Mayor Musa Shey Nfor in yellow boots leading cleanup

For yet another year, Nkambe Council emerged as the cleanest municipality in the region, extending an unbroken record of regional victories and reaffirming its status as the benchmark for environmental management in the North West. Fundong, Tubah, Alak, Ndop and Forawa councils followed in that order.

The victory once again earns Nkambe the honour of representing the North West Region at the national finals, where the municipality hopes to improve on its remarkable 2024 performance, when it finished as Cameroon's second cleanest town.

The latest recognition is another major achievement in a journey that began years earlier. In 2022, Nkambe entered the national spotlight after ranking 10th cleanest town in Cameroon out of more than 350 competing municipalities during activities marking World Habitat Day in Bertoua. The achievement earned the council a cash prize of FCFA 20 million, signalling the beginning of what has become one of the most consistent records in municipal sanitation and environmental stewardship in the country.

Yet, cleanliness represents only one chapter in a much broader story.

Over the past six years, Nkambe Council has steadily built a reputation as one of the North West Region's most consistently performing local authorities, earning recognition in public investment delivery, municipal governance, infrastructure development, disability inclusion, personnel management and institutional best practices.

Among the most celebrated achievements of the council has been its unmatched record in executing Public Investment Budget (PIB) projects.

Road maintenance in one of he communities in Nkambe

For several consecutive years, regional evaluations have ranked Nkambe Council as the best-performing council in the North West Region in implementing state-funded development projects. The recognition demonstrates effective planning, sound financial management, quality supervision and accountability in the use of public resources.

The consistent performance has not gone unnoticed nationally, earning the council additional support and reinforcing confidence among government institutions and development partners.

Beyond project execution, Nkambe has equally distinguished itself through excellence in municipal administration.

The council has repeatedly been recognised under FEICOM's Best Practices Awards, honouring improvements in governance, financial management, transparency, accountability and service delivery. These recognitions have positioned Nkambe among the councils helping to redefine what effective decentralised governance can achieve in Cameroon.

The approach by the municipality has focused on building strong institutions rather than pursuing isolated projects, ensuring that development is supported by systems capable of delivering long-term results.

Nkambe MP representing Nkambe Mayor at FEICOM prize award event

The council's achievements are equally visible across its infrastructure portfolio.

Over the years, investments have been directed towards rural and urban road rehabilitation, potable water supply schemes, educational facilities, health infrastructure, agricultural markets, renewable energy projects and community development initiatives designed to improve livelihoods across the municipality.

These investments have not only improved access to essential services but have also strengthened local economic activity, particularly in agriculture and rural trade.

One of the most distinctive achievements of the Nkambe Council has been its commitment to building an inclusive municipality.

In February 2023, during the closeout ceremony of the Socio-economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SEEPD) programme implemented by the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services in partnership with Christian Blind Mission, Nkambe Council received the Overall Best Council Award for Disability Inclusion.

The award recognised the the outstanding efforts of the municipality in promoting inclusion through healthcare, education, safeguarding, economic empowerment and social participation for persons living with disabilities.

Mayor Musa with award during SEEPD event in February 2023

While other councils received awards in individual thematic areas, Nkambe stood out as the overall best performer.

Receiving the recognition, Mayor Musa Shey Nfor emphasised that the council's actions were driven by responsibility rather than the pursuit of awards.

"We did everything for our people living with disability without expecting anything and so we are happy with this recognition. We invested time in providing our people a source of livelihood through our farm, gave them support and then went further to prevention of disability by educating our people on excess speeding for commercial motorcycle riders and those living with diabetes," the Mayor told Hilltopvoices.

The recognition reflected years of deliberate investment in ensuring that persons with disabilities are not treated merely as beneficiaries of social assistance but as active participants in community development.

Behind every completed project and every award is an administrative team that has increasingly earned recognition for professionalism and commitment.

Mayor Musa Shey Nfor with transporters in his municipality

Nkambe Council has invested in staff capacity building, teamwork, accountability and performance management, creating a work culture that enables projects to be delivered efficiently despite the operational challenges facing many councils in conflict-affected regions.

This emphasis on institutional strength has become one of the foundations upon which the development achievements of the council continue to rest.

According to Mayor Musa Shey Nfor, however, the growing collection of awards is not a measure of personal accomplishment.

He attributes the council's sustained success to the enabling environment created by the people of Nkambe and the collaborative relationships established with traditional authorities, councillors, municipal staff, government services, development partners, civil society organisations and the local administration.

"Our greatest strength has always been our people," he says

"Their cooperation, support and confidence in the council have made it possible for us to implement projects successfully and continuously improve our municipality. Development is a collective responsibility."

Mayor Musa Shey Nfor and SDO of Nkambe

That philosophy of shared ownership has helped the council maintain consistency at a time when many municipalities face increasing financial and operational pressures.

Awards can recognise performance, but they cannot replace development itself.

For the people of Nkambe who show up ever cleanup day and every time the Mayor makes a call, the true measure of success lies in cleaner neighbourhoods, improved roads, better water supply, stronger public institutions, opportunities for vulnerable groups and development projects that directly improve daily life.

As Nkambe prepares to represent the North West Region once again at the national Clean City Competition, the municipality is seeking to reinforce a reputation built over six years through sustained performance, accountable leadership and community participation.

Whether measured by cleanliness, public investment execution, inclusive governance, FEICOM best practices or infrastructure development, Nkambe Council has increasingly become the municipality against which many others in the North West are judged.

And with its sights now set on converting national silver into gold, the council's journey of excellence according to Mayor Musa Shey Nfor is far from over.`

By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web

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