In June 2021, Cameroon And The African Development Bank Signed A Loan Agreement, For The Bank To Disburse 106 Billion FCFA For The Ring Road Project

 At The Meeting Of The Steering Committee Of  PPRD – NW/SW In B’da On July 4, 2025, Figures In The File Of The Minister Of Public Works, Showed That Close To 83 Billion FCFA Has Been Allocated For The 88 Km  Kumbo – Ndu –  Binka – Nkambe – Misaje  Stretches Of The Ring Road Project

 The Mayor Of Wum, DIGHAMBONG ANTHONY, At The July 4 Meeting Wept Over The Horrible State Of The B’da – Wum Road.  Archbishop NKEA Did Same During A Visit To Wum A Few Months Ago.

In 1991, President Biya Declared In Bamenda That He Would Personally Supervise The Construction Of The 365 Km Ring Road. 34 Years Later, The Ring Road Project Is Still Far From Completion

In 2019, the African Development Bank, AFDB, disbursed the sum of 12 billion francs CFA to the State of Cameroon, as a loan to carryout technical studies or feasibility studies on the Ring Road Project in the Northwest Region.  The entire Ring Road, which is National Road No. 11, is 365 km long. The Ring Road starts from the Northwest Regional Headquarters, Bamenda, then runs through Bambui, Ndop, Babessi, Jakiri,  Kumbo, Ndu, Nkambe, Misaje, Nyos, Wum, Bafut, and back to Bamenda.  The Ring Road runs through five of the seven Divisions of the Northwest Region. It starts from Mezam Division, then runs through Ngohtetunjia Division, Bui Division, Donga and Mantung Division, Menchum Division, and ends back in Mezam Division.

Meanwhile on June 22, 2020, the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, signed a decree empowering the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, to on behalf of the State of Cameroon, sign a loan agreement of E 160.6 million (one hundred and sixty million, six thousand Euros), an equivalent of 106 billion FCFA (One hundred and six billion francs CFA), for the Ring Road Project. In June 2021 in Yaounde, Cameroon’s Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, and the Managing Director of the AfDB for Central Africa, Serge N’Guessan, signed the loan agreement of 106 billion francs CFA, for the Ring Road Project. Speaking at the signing ceremony, both men stressed the socio – economic importance of the Ring Road to the population and region. It was also noted that there are several connections of the Ring Road to the Nigerian border, notably from Misaje. Both men thus agreed that the construction of the Ring Road, will boast trade between Cameroon and neighbouring Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa.

President Biya’s Promise To Supervise Ring Road Project

It should be noted that the long delayed Ring Road Project was on the Government’s file when Paul Biya came to power in 1982. Over the years, the Government repeatedly made promises for the Ring Road Project, which was never executed. During an official visit to Bamenda in 1991, President Biya promised in a speech at the ceremonial ground at the Bamenda Commercial Avenue, that he would personally supervise the execution of the Ring Road Project. But then many years after, nothing happened. Then later the Government launched the construction of the Ring Road Project, in stretches. The Government decided to start the project with the stretch of road in the Ndop plain, up the Wainama Hill to Jakiri, and on to Kumbo.

Kumbo – Ndu – Nkambe – Misaje Stretches Of The Ring Road

After obtaining the 106 billion francs CFA loan from the African Development Bank following the signing of the loan agreement in Yaounde in June 2021, the Government dragged on in the name of insecurity, and finally awarded contracts for three stretches of the Ring Road Project, to construction companies owned by some Northwest sons.  The three stretches of the project included the Kumbo – Ndu Road which is 39 km, the Ndu –Binka – Nkambe stretch which is 31 km, and the Nkambe – Misaje stretch of the Ring Road, which is 18 km. The Ministry of Public Works, said a total of four construction companies belonging to some Northwest sons, are involved in the ongoing road project that runs from Kumbo to Misaje.  The companies include BUNS of Njong Eric, MAG Sarl of Shey Jones Yembe, as well as BOFAS and SUPER COMFORT.

The Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Ngano Djoumessi, presented some information about the allocation of funds for the road project, at the meeting of the Steering Committee of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of Northwest and Southwest Regions, PPRD – NW/SW, that was chaired by the Prime Minister, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, in Bamenda on July 4, 2025. The figures show that the Government has allocated a total of close to 83 billion francs CFA, from the loan package of 106 billion FCFA that was granted by the African Development Bank, for the Ring Road Project.

Over 20 Billion FCFA Still Left In Government’s Hand

Details of the financial allocations, show that 34,925,833, 271 FCFA (Thirty four billion, nine hundred and twenty five million, eight hundred and thirty three thousand, two hundred and seventy one francs CFA), has gone for the 39 km Kumbo – Ndu Road.  As for  the Ndu – Binka – Nkambe stretch of the Ring Road Project which is 31 km long, the sum of 28,999,925,838 FCFA (Twenty eight billion, nine hundred and ninety nine million, nine hundred and twenty five thousand, eight hundred and thirty eight francs CFA), has been allocated for the 31 km road project. As for the Nkambe – Misaje stretch of the Ring Road which is just 18 km long, the sum of 18,288,852,393 FCFA (Eighteen billion, two hundred and eighty eight million, eight hundred and fifty two thousand, three hundred and nighty three francs CFA), has been allocated for the road project.

This means that close to a total of 83 billion FCFA has been allocated by Government for the construction of the three stretches of the Ring Road Project, which are Kumbo – Ndu stretch, Ndu – Binka – Nkambe stretch, and Nkambe – Misaje stretch., from the loan package of 106 billion FCFA, This means that the Government is supposed to still have over 20 billion FCFA of the 106 billion FCFA loan package, left.

Wum Mayor Weeps Of State Of Road

Meanwhile the Mayor of Wum, Dighambong Anthony, while speaking at the meeting of the Steering Committee of the PPRD – NW / SW in Bamenda on July 4, 2025, wept about the horrible state of the Bamenda – Wum Road, which has become more of a nightmare. It should be noted that the Bamenda – Wum Road has been in a bad state for many years. The situation gets worse during the rainy season, when vehicles find it almost impossible to ply that road. People that can dare it, mostly have to travel by commercial motorcycles commonly known in the Northwest Region as Okada. Even with the Okada, the passenger who is forced to pay over 20,000 FCFA to travel from Bamenda to Wum or vice versa, still has to do a lot of trekking on the muddy road, as there are areas where the motorcycle has to be pushed to go through. The situation has become such that even several people are forced to transport the corpses of their love ones by motorcycles from Bamenda to Wum.

Meanwhile at the meeting of the Steering Committee of the PPRD – NW/SW in Bamenda on July 4, 2025, the Mayor of Wum, Dighambong Anthony, pleaded to the Prime Minister, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, that after the ongoing work on the Kumbo – Ndu – Binka, Nkambe – and Misaje stretch of the Ring Road ends, the next phase of the Ring Road Project should be the Bamenda – Wum stretch.

It should be noted that the Archbishop of Bamenda, Andrew Nkea, during a pastoral visit to Wum a couple of months ago, also wept for the very deplorable state of the Bamenda – Wum Road.