By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
The Cameroon government, through the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT), has recognised five councils for their exemplary performance in implementing the 2024 Public Investment Budget (PIB). The awards were presented at the “Model Councils Award Ceremony” in Yaoundé on Tuesday, 16 September 2025.
The ceremony, chaired by MINEPAT Minister, Alamine Ousmane Mey, was attended by Finance Minister Louis Paul Motaze, Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister Dr Taiga, and representatives from the United Councils of Cities of Cameroon UCCC, among others.
The honoured councils were Idenau (Southwest Region), Ndelele (East Region), Nkambe (Northwest Region), Nyambaka (Adamawa Region), and Pette (Far North Region). Each council received FCFA 50 million, totalling FCFA 250 million, as a reward for their effective use of public funds.
Speaking at the event, Minister Mey praised the councils for setting a strong example in Cameroon’s decentralisation process, a cornerstone of national development policy since the 1996 Constitution.
He noted that between 2018 and 2024, over FCFA 700 billion had been allocated to councils for development projects, though approximately FCFA 70 billion remained unutilised due to various challenges.
“We celebrate those who have excelled in performance while encouraging others to improve,” Minister Mey said. “We are committed to supporting councils to enhance project preparation, budgeting, execution, and monitoring to meet public expectations.”
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to decentralisation, describing it as “irreversible” and urging mayors, communities, and government bodies to work together to transform living conditions through effective resource use. He expressed hope that more councils would achieve similar recognition in the future.
Hon. Gerald Ngala, MP for Nkambe, representing the mayor, thanked the government for the initiative, which he said would motivate mayors to advance President Paul Biya’s decentralisation agenda.
“The FCFA 50 million will fund income-generating projects, particularly for youth and internally displaced persons, ensuring job creation in peaceful Nkambe,” he said.
The mayors of Idenau and Pette also expressed gratitude, pledging to continue efforts to improve living standards. According to MINEPAT, the awards align with President Biya’s goal of transforming regional and local authorities into engines of growth and development.
The initiative aims to optimise PIB implementation, with state transfers to councils rising by 55.7 percent from FCFA 92 billion in 2018 to FCFA 143.2 billion in 2024.
