NW Regional Assembly budgets over 14.6 billion FCFA for 2026.

It held from in Bamenda from December 8 to 10. The budgetary session also marked the end of the first mandate of pioneer members of the Regional Assembly.

In attendance were the President of the North West Regional Assembly, Prof Fru Angwafo III; North West Governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique; Members of Parliament, MPs, Mayors and other stakeholders.

Officials revealed during the session that the budget is expected to witness additional 425 million FCFA, from the Local Governance and Resilient Communities Project, PROLOG. This, it was said, would increase the budget to over 15 billion FCFA.

During the session, members also reviewed the maiden mandate of the Assembly in terms of project execution and adopted measures to guide work in the coming years.

According to Prof Fru Angwafo III, the session marked the end of the first mandate of the Regional Assembly and also sets the policy and financial tone for the next mandate that begins in 2026.

Prof Angwafo III emphasised that the session builds directly on the work carried out during the September session where the Assembly adopted a three-year Medium Term Budgetary Framework covering 2026, 2027, and 2028. 

The framework, he said, was crafted with input from local communities, civil society actors, and devolved sector services.

He noted that there was also the presentation of the Assembly’s performance report in since 2020 with key reports from its devolved sectors like the Regional Delegation of Public Health and the Regional Delegation of Secondary Education.

The Project Manager of the Assembly also provided updates on projects executed. With physical execution rates above 90% in all past years, the President acknowledged that a few projects require improvements.

New mandate priorities 

Prof Angwafo III said priorities will be on improving the provision of basic social services especially in health and social development. 

Another area of focus, he added, will be economic development and environmental protection; education, citizenship, culture, youth, and sports. The fourth tier, he noted, will focus on governance and local administration.

Prof Fru Angwafo III noted the intention is to give increased weight to the economic development programmes. 

The Region, he added, seeks to expand its capacity to generate internal revenue to fund development.

2026 expected spinoffs 

According to Prof Fru Angwafo III, social services like the equipping of Bamenda Regional Hospital and Nkambe Regional Hospital Annex emergency centres are priority in the budget. 

The Assembly, he noted, will also fund and equip pharmaceutical warehouses across the region, continue improving district hospital infrastructure, and extend support to the needy and Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.

The Assembly, he said, plans to complete the regional lodge, which is expected to generate income from lodging, conferences, and visitor services. 

Work on regional markets, Prof Angwafor III averred, will continue, building from the Mutan Market at mile 6 Nkwen, with the possibility of another market starting elsewhere.

The Assembly, the president told members, will also initiate the external customs clearance house. This, he said, will be the first step towards establishing a regional dry port, which is expected to strengthen trade and logistics.

Another important project the President announced will be the commissioning of the North West Development and Investment Fund, NOWEDIF. 

The Public-Private structure, he explained, will coordinate major investments and drive long term economic projects while the Assembly continues its core deliberation and oversight work.

Other interest areas, Prof Angwafo III noted, will be digital entrepreneurship and innovation, including technology that supports agriculture and food transformation.

Education, youth and sports, assistance to persons with disabilities, the youth, and women, he added, are also among major programmes.

Be peace ambassadors

North West Governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique, congratulated the newly elected members of the Assembly. The State representative urged them to be peace ambassadors in their communities, and collaborate with security officials to ensure peace reigns across the North West Region.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3653 of Friday December 12, 2025