Yaounde: West, Central Africa local authorities strategising to boost dev’t.

This is the crux of the Central and West Africa Commonwealth Local Government Forum, which was flagged off yesterday in Yaounde.

The conference, organised by the government of Cameroon and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, CLGF, with the technical and financial assistance of the European Union, EU, has brought together participants from Cameroon and nine other countries.

Participants come from Botswana, Cameroon, Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Gabon, Togo and the United Kingdom, UK. 

The three-day conference is unfolding under the theme: “Building back together: examining social and economic strategies to strengthen resilience in west and centralAfrica".

The conference was launched by the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development, Georges Elanga Obam. 

This was in the presence of the Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations in Charge of the Commonwealth, His Excellency Felix Mbayu.

Addressing participants at the start of the conference, Minister Elanga Obam, said the Yaounde gathering is a demonstration of the conviviality that characterises the Commonwealth Local Government Forum family in the West and Central Africa Region and beyond.

He said the government of Cameroon is appreciative of the choice of Yaounde to host the conference, which comes in prelude to the Commonwealth Local Government Forum General Assembly, scheduled for Kigali, Rwanda in November this year.

Minister Obam then recalled that: “It is little over a year now, that the Commonwealth Local Government Forum organised a local development economic symposium in Cameroon to promote inclusive economic growth at the local level”.

He disclosed that the recommendations of the said symposium are being implemented nationwide “in our local councils while hoping for the effective start of the second phase”.

Minister Obam told the visitors that Cameroon, under the stewardship of President Paul Biya, has aligned its development on the National Development Strategy 2030, “which is our country’s economic blueprint”. 

He said: “With this at hand, we plan to become an emerging economy by the Year 2035”.

The member of government was quick to state that the materialisation of the said vision, requires a peaceful and stable socio-political environment for developmental projects to strive nationally and locally. 

“In this regard, the President of the Republic has prescribed the fast-tracking of the Decentralisation process in Cameroon,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, speaking earlier, the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, Botswanan-born Rev Mpho Moruakgomo, who is also the Presiding Elder and Senior Minister of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, described the Yaounde forum as key to the growth of the Central and West Africa Region.

Rev Mpho, who equally heads the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique, explained that the Commonwealth Local Government Forum is a Commonwealth organisation representing local governments.

He said the work of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum focuses on advocating local democracy and good governance at the local level.

Rev Mpho stated that the Commonwealth Local Government Forum taking place in Yaounde provides a unique platform for central and local governments to sit on the same table and work together for a common good.

He insisted that as “Africans, we need to work together…to serve our people”.

For his part, the Head of Cooperation at European Union delegation to Cameroon, Jerome Pons, speaking on behalf of the EU country boss, re-stated the commitment of his organisation to contribute to local development in Cameroon and beyond.

He said as key representatives of the population in local territories, local authorities have a critical role to play in contributing to inclusive and sustainable economic development.

The EU, he said, recognises challenges like climate change, rapid growth in urban population and the implication there have on urban development, local governance or resilience at urban level.

He said: “Fostering partnerships at global level is key to implementing our strategy and action as well as supporting democratic values worldwide”.

Taking the cue, the President of the North West Regional Assembly and Deputy President of the Association of Regions of Cameroon, celebrated neurosurgeon, Prof Fru Angwafo III, described the forum as a laudable effort “where Cameroon’s Regional Assembly Presidents will speak with their counterparts in local development”.

He said he was optimistic that “Cameroon’s Regional Councils will learn as they share in the proceedings of the conference”.

“We think that during this meeting, we will look at how to push the local development and the local economy in the experience of Cameroon and the other nine countries from West and Central Africa,” he added.

Enter UCCC representative

Speaking much earlier at the start of yesterday’s opening ceremony, the First National Vice President of the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon, UCCC, Dighambong Anthony Mvo, showered praises on the Minister of Decentralisation for his commitment and consistent support to local and regional authorities.

Dighambong, who is also mayor of the Wum Council, told the Minister that: “The municipal movement as a whole, through my voice, expresses once again her heartfelt gratitude for all you are doing for the regional and local authorities in particular and the decentralisation process in Cameroon in general”.

He then told attendees that in Cameroon, decentralisation is one of the strategic pillars of the National Development Strategy 2030.

He said the strategy places an increasingly strong interest on issues related to local economic development.

Stakes of the forum

It should be mentioned that for three days, participants at the Yaounde forum will receive lectures on issues related to innovative finance-opportunities to diversify local government resources as well as climate change-adaptation and impact in West and Central Africa. The conference ends tomorrow.