To boost local dev’t: Cameroonian lawmakers, French counterparts strengthen cooperation.

The meeting took place Monday, September 23. During the meeting, the President of REP-COD, Hon Louis Henri Ngantcha, alongside his French counterpart, Amélia, brainstormed on how to encourage the Cameroonian diaspora to invest back home, thereby actively contributing to the nation’s decentralisation drive.

Enter officials

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Vice President of REP-COD, Senator Otte Mofa Andrew, said the partnership between Cameroon and France is key to leveraging the expertise of French lawmakers and local leaders to boost Cameroon's local development strategies. 

The lawmaker from the South West Region disclosed that: "Today, we witnessed the excellent relationship that exists between the Cameroon Parliament and the French Parliament under the guardianship of His Excellency President Paul Biya".

Senator Otte Mofa explained that the network, founded in response to President Biya’s recognition of the intelligence and hard work of Cameroonians living abroad, has as goal to encourage their participation in the country's growth through decentralised projects.

"We exchanged our views on issues like local development and what the diaspora can bring back to Cameroon in terms of project management and local finance," he added.

The REP-COD official further underscored the importance of upgrading council financial management systems to spur job creation and economic development.

The delegation also discussed the need for training local council workers and mayors, emphasising how strategic cooperation with France could help Cameroon achieve its goal of becoming an emerging economy by 2035. 

The delegation members further disclosed that since its creation in 2020, REP-COD has engaged over 500 members of the diaspora, working to align with President Paul Biya’s vision of involving Cameroonians abroad, especially the youth, in the country’s development process.

Delegation reaffirms commitment

Queueing in from REP-COD, the head of the French delegation reaffirmed France’s commitment to supporting Cameroon’s development, emphasising that cooperation between the two countries can lead to greater achievements in decentralised governance and infrastructure development.

"We represent the people, and through promotion, training, and exchange between our parliaments, we can accomplish a lot," Amélia said.

Lakrafi Amélia also highlighted the transformative impact of decentralised cooperation, noting the significant progress in major cities. 

She stressed the potential for even more growth through collaborative efforts between France and Cameroon, facilitated by well-organised networks like REP-COD.

The French Member of Parliament expressed her admiration for REP-COD’s achievements and its innovation in creating a parliamentary network focused on diaspora engagement.

"I am impressed by the success of this network, the innovation, and the work it is doing for the diaspora," she continued, noting the potential for growth in Cameroon's population and economy.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3240 of Wednesday September 25, 2024