The nearly three-kilometre stretch leading to the zone has been tarred, creating a more accessible connection between the area and the wider city.
Electricity infrastructure is also visible along the route.
along the road, poles stand at intervals, with cables running along parts of the corridor.
But as the road enters the industrial zone, something is missing.
Light.
There are no street lights along the road.
And inside the industrial zone, electricity supply remains a challenge.
Hilltopvoices gathered that parts of the electricity infrastructure in the area were damaged by fire, destroying cables with wooden poles and leaving the zone without the expected power supply. New concrete poles have since been erected in some areas, suggesting that efforts may be underway to restore electricity.
For an area being positioned as part of the economic future of Bamenda, the situation raises a bigger question.
Can we build an industrial city that does not have reliable power and lighting to support activity beyond daylight hours?
The question becomes even more interesting when one looks at the first major project recently completed within the industrial zone.
The Mutan Market project of the North West Regional Assembly under the leadership of Prof Fru Angwafo III has brought a significant new facility to the area, supported by infrastructure designed to sustain its operations.
Rather than waiting entirely for the return of conventional electricity, the project has incorporated a substantial solar power installation capable of supplying electricity and lighting to the facility.
It is an important lesson in urban development brought to life by Dreamland Connect under the supervision of its CEO Edision Fru Ndi.
Where conventional infrastructure is unreliable, investment can sometimes find alternative solutions.
The solar installation demonstrates that powering a modern facility does not necessarily have to depend on one source of energy.
But it also highlights the bigger gap.
A modern market or industrial facility can have its own power supply, but if the road connecting it to the city is dark at night, the wider urban system remains incomplete.
For workers returning home after late shifts, traders moving goods, transport operators, security personnel and businesses operating beyond daylight hours, lighting is not decoration.
It is infrastructure.
The same principle applies across Bamenda.
The city is currently undergoing significant road rehabilitation.
Several roads are being widened, reconstructed or resurfaced, and there are indications that street lighting is being considered as part of some of these infrastructure works.
If implemented effectively, that could represent an important step in transforming the night-time environment i the city.
Because a road without lighting serves a different city after sunset.
Pedestrians become harder to see.
Motorists face reduced visibility.
Businesses may close earlier.
Public spaces become less attractive.
Workers may hesitate to travel long distances at night.
And areas with growing economic activity can remain underused once daylight disappears.
For an emerging industrial and commercial centre such as Bamenda, this has economic consequences.
Factories, markets, workshops, restaurants, pharmacies, transport services and other businesses cannot all operate on a strict daylight schedule.
A city that wants to attract investment must also think about the conditions under which investment operates.
Can workers move safely at night?
Can goods be transported after dark?
Can businesses remain open without exposing employees and customers to unnecessary risks?
Are industrial and commercial areas connected to reliable electricity and adequate public lighting?
These questions become even more important as Bamenda begins to rebuild its economy.
The industrial zone is supposed to represent part of an economic vision.
The newly tarred road creates access.
The Mutan Market creates commercial space for wholesalers.
The solar installation provides an alternative energy solution.
The next step is ensuring that the surrounding infrastructure creates an environment where people and businesses can operate confidently.
This is where the conversation about street lighting connects directly with the wider vision of Future Fit Bamenda.
A modern city should not effectively shut down when the sun goes down.
Lighting should therefore be considered alongside roads, drainage, pedestrian walkways, public spaces and transport.
The opportunity now exists to think about lighting strategically.
Major entry points into the city should be illuminated.
Industrial and commercial corridors should have adequate lighting.
Pedestrian crossings and walkways should be visible.
Bridges and major junctions should not become dark spots.
Public spaces should be designed with safe night-time use in mind.
Neighbourhoods should not be forgotten simply because they are outside the commercial centre.
And where electricity supply remains unreliable, solar technology could provide part of the solution.
The industrial zone offers Bamenda an interesting starting point.
Its new road shows what improved connectivity can do.
Its solar-powered market shows how alternative energy can support economic infrastructure.
Its missing street lights show what remains unfinished.
The future of Bamenda will depend on connecting these pieces.
Because building a future-fit city is not simply about making it easier to get somewhere.
It is about making it possible to live, work, trade, move and feel safe once you get there.
And that includes after dark.
Future Fit Questions
1. Should street lighting be a standard component of every major road rehabilitation project in Bamenda?
2. Should industrial and commercial zones receive priority in the expansion of public lighting?
3. Can solar street lighting provide a practical and sustainable solution where conventional electricity remains unreliable?
4. How much economic activity could Bamenda be losing because parts of the city become difficult to use after dark?
5. As new roads and economic facilities emerge, are we planning the lighting needed to make them work as intended?
Next in Future Fit Bamenda
The Clean City Challenge: Bamenda is growing, trading and building. But what happens to everything the city throws away?
By Bakah Derick
Bakah Derick is an award-winning Cameroonian journalist and mediapreneur, serving as Vice President in charge of International Relations at the Cameroon Journalists’ Trade Union and leading Hilltopvoices Communications Group Ltd to amplify community voices and governance issues. With nearly 20 years in the field, his impactful reporting spanning human rights, environmental protection, inclusive development,sports and others has earned him prestigious honours such as the 2024 VIIMMA Humanitarian Reporter of the Year and more. Email: debakah2004@gmail.com Tel: +237 675 460 750
0 Comments