By DOH JAMES SONKEY
Construction of the overdue ring-road project promised the population of the North West Region by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya decades ago is expected to enter high gear following government’s signing of a financing agreement with the African Development Bank, ADB worth FCFA 12 billion last October 28, 2019 at the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development in Yaounde.
Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey of Economy signed on behalf of the government in the presence of the Ministers of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi and of Women Empowerment and the Family, Prof Marie Therese Abena Ondoa while Ousmane Dore, the Director General of the African Development Bank for Central Africa signed for his pan African financial institution.
officials after signing of two agreements
Speaking at the occasion, Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey while expressing gratitude to the African Development Bank for constantly supporting development projects in Cameroon, explained that “this is the first instalment of a global envelope of FCFA 167 billion to be given to Cameroon by the ADB for the execution of rehabilitation work and tarring of the ring road project.”
He said the partial funding will enable government to finish technical studies necessary for the tarring of this stretch of National Road No11 dubbed the ring-road project of 280km cutting across six divisions out of seven in the North West region.
He explained that the construction of the ring-road (Bamenda-Bambui-Ndop-Babessi-Kumbo-Nkambe-Misaje-Nyos-Wum-Bafut-Bamenda) will not only develop the road network in the North West region but offer a new opening of 50km to Nigeria.
On his part, the Director General of the African Development Bank for the Central African Region, Ousmane Dore saluted government’s efforts deployed to obtain this funding to develop security- challenged North West region.
Saying this first instalment by this signing ceremony was approved in November 2018, Ousmane Dore hinted that the second instalment, about FCFA 105 billion will be engaged in 2020 once submitted for approval to the Board of Administration by the end of this year.