Local dev’t best practices: FEICOM to reward outstanding councils with 430M FCFA in Y’de today.

Nozipho praised the FEICOM-led initiative, urging councils nationwide to continuously exploit the window to boost local development. 

She said applications from 77 councils have been narrowed to 33 to award municipalities that are addressing local realities of development.

The jury head added that work is focused on how entries from councils on development initiatives contribute to national development and align with national policies to improve the lot of the population.

Officials said the competition is not compulsory, reason only 77 of the country’s 365 councils made entries.

Officials said the sum of over 430 million FCFA will be shared to the deserving councils. It was disclosed that the sum of 70, 50, 30 million FCFA will be shared to three best councils respectively. 

It was also revealed that the sum of 20 million FCFA each will be shared to ten best councils across the ten regions of the country while 60 million FCFA will be shared to councils with best women’s and children’s rights initiatives. The international jury prize of 25 million FCFA is also said to be awarded tomorrow. 

Other jury members said thanks to the awards, several councils have realised projects with funds attached to their prizes to address pressing needs of the population.

The Director General of FEICOM, Camille Philippe Akoa, revealed that a women’s empowerment project that won 50,000,000 in one of the editions used the money to increase the capital of its microfinance establishment.

According to the Director General, the National Awards were designed along the lines of the African Charter on Local Development Best Practices. 

Kenyan, Nozipho, who heads the jury, is United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT, chief in the East African nation. 

UN-habitat, Akoa said, is credited with providing technical support that enabled the National Best Practices Award initiative to take off in 2010. 

Since then, the UN agency, he said, has also been accompanying FEICOM in organizing every editions of the award.

Camille Akoa noted that FEICOM seeks to, through the awards, identify, evaluate, reward and promote development practices of regional and local authorities that outstandingly improves the living conditions of the populace.

The areas of awards, he said, include; how councils efficiently manage resources, availability of infrastructures, pace of sustainable and socioeconomic developments. 

About international jury

Apart from Beryl Nozipho Khanyile, other members of the jury include; Prof Peter Anyang Nyong´o, Governor of the Kenyan Kisumu Committee; Dr Laye Sekou Camara; Cameroon Country Director of Hellen Keller International, Mba Robert; Nganou Ghislaine Sandra, epouse Foti Meli, Head of Division for Local Planning in the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT.

Others are;  Senate Questor, Otte Andrew Mofa; Kaghere Ripa Palimatou Nounou, Technical Adviser number III at the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development  MINEPAT; the Mayor of Olanguina Council, Mefou and Afamba Division of the Centre Region, Bikoula Bekono Alphonese Didier. Bekono is also in the jury as representative of the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon, UCCC.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3652 of Thursday December 11, 2025