The Menchum Divisional Follow-up Committee for Public Investment Projects has announced a 73 percent execution rate for projects programmed for the 2025 financial year, reflecting both notable progress and persistent challenges in local development efforts.
The disclosure was made during the fourth quarter participatory follow up committee meeting held in Wum and chaired by the Member of Parliament for Menchum South Constituency, Hon. Wallang Richard Ebua, who also serves as Chairperson of the Menchum Divisional Follow-up Committee and the North West Regional Follow-up Committee.
Statistics presented at the meeting showed that Menchum Division received an allocation of 2 billion FCFA in 2025 for the execution of 61 Public Investment Projects. Of these, 41 projects have been fully executed and received, 18 are currently ongoing, while two projects have not yet taken off, resulting in a physical execution rate of 73 percent.
The projects were distributed across strategic sectors including road maintenance and opening, water supply schemes, construction and rehabilitation of classrooms and health facilities, as well as rural electrification, all designed to improve access to basic services and stimulate local development.
However, the meeting acknowledged that performance fell short of expectations. Participants attributed the shortfall to the late award of several projects, the burden of longstanding abandoned projects, and inadequate visibility over projects financed through non-budgetary or external funding sources. The committee expressed particular concern that a number of projects awarded between 2018 and 2024 are still incomplete.
Some of the stalled projects highlighted include the WEH cattle market, the Integrated Health Centre in Abar, electrification works in Ebiatie (Menchum Valley), the Benakuma agricultural post, a water supply project in Badji, solar street lighting in parts of Furu-Awa, and a two-classroom block at GS Zonghofu.
In a bid to motivate stakeholders, control engineers and contractors who distinguished themselves during the 2025 exercise were honoured, with Hon. Wallang Richard Ebua urging all actors to redouble efforts in 2026. He stressed the need for stronger coordination to prevent project abandonment and ensure timely delivery.
Addressing participants, the lawmaker reiterated the role of public investment projects as instruments for development, peace, and social stability, especially in fragile contexts. He called on local councils, contractors, and communities to embrace the principle of collective responsibility, noting that decentralization places mayors and local authorities at the heart of project implementation.
Hon. Wallang also welcomed progress on the tarring of the Wum–Bamenda road, a critical section of the Ring Road project, describing it as a long-awaited intervention that will open up Menchum Division and boost economic activity.
Meanwhile, the Divisional Delegate of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT) for Menchum, Adzemye Eunice, expressed reservations about the division’s performance. She blamed the modest execution rate on the late disbursement of punctual credits, revealing that several credits only reached the division between September and October 2025, leaving little room for timely execution.
She further criticized the attitude of some contractors, particularly in the road sector, where many projects remain below 50 percent completion, significantly affecting the division’s overall performance.
The meeting ended with a call for improved planning, timely disbursement of funds, and active community involvement to ensure that Public Investment Projects in Menchum Division translate into visible and lasting development outcomes in the years ahead.
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