The Bafut Council has approved a budget of 1.059 billion FCFA for the 2026 financial year, defining a development agenda that prioritizes education, healthcare, electricity, water supply, and infrastructure at its core. The budget was examined and adopted on Saturday, December 6, 2025, in a session marked by reflection, recalibration and a renewed call for community resilience.
Although the allocation represents a drop from the 1.3 billion FCFA budget of 2025, Mayor Ngwakongoh Lawrence described the financial package as realistic and resilient. He underscored the council’s commitment to doing more with fewer resources. He emphasized that the reduced figures do not signal diminished ambition but rather a shift toward disciplined spending and creative management.
The theme guiding the session, “A 2026 Budget of Renewal, Community Resilience and Shared Progress”, set the tone for discussions that followed.
Councillors outlined several key priorities that will shape the year ahead. Central among them is the construction of an integrated health centre in Mankanikong, a project expected to bring essential medical services closer to communities that have long struggled with access to healthcare.
The council also plans to expand potable water supply to the communities of Mankwi, Asanje and Otang, while extending electricity networks to Bunoh and Acheni. Infrastructure remains a pressing need, and plans for opening new roads, carrying out gutter works and reinforcing road maintenance structures featured prominently.
These initiatives will be complemented by community-focused programmes such as the training of water and road maintenance committees and the acquisition of cassava graters to support local agro-processing.
The councillors encouraged the Mayor to further capitalize on heavy-duty machinery purchased over the last two years by accelerating the opening of farm-to-market roads, creating new streets and initiating a comprehensive street-naming scheme across the municipality’s 58 villages. Mayor Ngwakongoh acknowledged the importance of the exercise but cautioned that it would be implemented gradually to ensure accuracy and community involvement.
Cultural preservation also found a place in the deliberations. The council resolved to promote the teaching of the Bafut anthem, Mban, and indigenous cultural values among young people. To support this initiative, the council committed to purchasing the current cultural handbook and making it available to the population at a symbolic cost, thereby strengthening the transmission of heritage across generations.
Education, a sector that has seen significant investment in recent years, attracted praise from the education committee. With a project execution rate of over 95% for 2025, Bafut now ranks second in the Mezam Division in terms of public investment performance.
The Mayor reported that only one ongoing project, a classroom block undergoing plastering remains before the council achieves full execution for the year.
Revenue generation, a recurring challenge, also came under review. Councillors brainstormed ways to restart the collection of sand tolls in lower Bafut, identifying a strategy they believe will substantially boost local income if effectively implemented. The council further announced that 2026 will mark the operational debut of the Bafut community radio, expected to enhance communication, civic engagement and visibility for the municipality.
Representing the Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam, the Divisional Officer for Bafut, Forkou Andelys, commended the councillors for their maturity and urged the executive team to remain steadfast in implementing the adopted budget. He praised the councillors for their strict follow-up of council activities, encouraging them to rally their full support behind the mayor for a good and realistic budget execution in 2026.
Mayor Ngwakongoh, in response, reiterated his commitment to delivering results, stressing the importance of collective engagement as the council works toward its goals.
In a moving speech, the Mayor reflected on the council’s journey through years of crisis, insecurity and uncertainty. He credited the resilience of councillors, partners and the people of Bafut for sustaining progress during moments when development seemed impossible. He acknowledged past shortcomings and offered a public apology to anyone who may have been hurt in the course of his leadership, calling for unity as the mandate approaches its final stretch.
Looking forward, the council plans to explore and develop Bafut’s tourism potential, an area seen as promising for revenue generation and job creation. The Mayor urged councillors to approach the new year with renewed energy and commitment, reminding them that the future of Bafut depends on their collective determination.
“Every challenge we faced made us stronger,” he said as the session drew to a close. “Every setback taught us resilience. Every success reminded us that Bafut is destined for greatness. Let us continue to believe, continue to work and continue to rise.”
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