At the end of its instruction, prospective and supervision mission for the Land Transport portfolio in Cameroon, a mission from the French Development Agency, led by its Cameroon Deputy Director Sylvestre Mang, was granted an audience on 19 July 2024 on the eighth floor of the Ministerial Building N0. 1 housing the central services of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Top on the agenda of the discussions was the restitution of the AFD mission carried out from 10 to 19 July 2024. Seating for the Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Prof Nna Mathurin hailed the visit, which consolidates the convergence of views on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Yaoundé Coeur de Ville projects funded by the AFD. The mission lauded the progress made on the project thanks to the involvement of the Cameroonian side, progress which concerns the multiple calls for tender relating to the Yaoundé Coeur de Ville, the results of which will trigger the start-up of the project. As far as the BRT is concerned, several studies have already established the length of the line from Olembe to Ahala. What remains is an updated financing study, with the AFD lobbying European Union financiers in advance.
In conclusion, Professor Nna Mathurin reassured the guests of the day that the resources on both sides will be pooled to ensure the success of these complex and highly ambitious projects, and to consolidate cooperation between Cameroon and France.
At the end of its instruction, prospective and supervision mission for the Land Transport portfolio in Cameroon, a mission from the French Development Agency, led by its Cameroon Deputy Director Sylvestre Mang, was granted an audience on 19 July 2024 on the eighth floor of the Ministerial Building N0. 1 housing the central services of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Top on the agenda of the discussions was the restitution of the AFD mission carried out from 10 to 19 July 2024. Seating for the Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Prof Nna Mathurin hailed the visit, which consolidates the convergence of views on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Yaoundé Coeur de Ville projects funded by the AFD. The mission lauded the progress made on the project thanks to the involvement of the Cameroonian side, progress which concerns the multiple calls for tender relating to the Yaoundé Coeur de Ville, the results of which will trigger the start-up of the project. As far as the BRT is concerned, several studies have already established the length of the line from Olembe to Ahala. What remains is an updated financing study, with the AFD lobbying European Union financiers in advance.
In conclusion, Professor Nna Mathurin reassured the guests of the day that the resources on both sides will be pooled to ensure the success of these complex and highly ambitious projects, and to consolidate cooperation between Cameroon and France.
Following the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, on 26 October 2023, MINHDU chaired numerous meetings with various stakeholders involved in the implementation of the Prime Minister’s high-level instructions. During his address to the Nation on 31 December 2023, the HEAD OF STATE instructed the various stakeholders to work in synergy to find lasting and sustainable solutions to the problem of household waste management. After a number of field visits to follow up the recommendations made at the meetings, it should be said that the streets are littered with rubbish. Not a single corner of the city is spared. Insalubrity is visible everywhere. Whether along the presidential route, the city entrance roads, the outskirts of hospitals, educational establishments, the residences of diplomats and members of the Government, to name but a few, not a single step is taken without coming across a rubbish dump.
The service providers, HYSACAM and THYCHFOL, seem to have lost their motivation, and collections do not seem to happen that often. According to information received, the contracts and service orders extending the deadlines expired on 30 June 2024 without being renewed.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development called a meeting on 18 July 2024 to discuss the proposed solutions that are being put forward and which will be brought to the ATTENTION of the HEAD OF STATE in order to initiate major reforms in this sector in the near future.
They are inter alia:
– constructing modern infrastructures adapted to sustainable waste management;
– mobilizing funding to address the issue more effectively;
– developing new strategies in line with the projected needs of cities;
– as well as designing ways of supporting local authorities in implementing hygiene and sanitation measures.
But while waiting for these short- and medium-term reforms, the city of Yaoundé must be kept clean. During this working session, the difficulties encountered on the ground to date will be presented and examined in order to find solutions to be implemented as soon as possible, to quickly rid the city of these dumps and make it clean and attractive again.
The Minister invited the companies to remain mobilized and to continue with their work until the accounts have been paid in full. In collaboration with MINFI, steps will be taken to this end.
To deal with the most urgent situation, MINHDU is planning a crackdown on household wastes dumps. The operation will initially last a week, and will involve the service providers HYSACAM and THYCHLOF, whose logistics have been demanded to ensure this move is effective. This week will also be used by a team set up to work on the legal aspects of the project, which will provide a framework and support the efficiency of the service providers until the end of the year. The Minister also instructed those in charge of the Local and Regional Authorities to raise awareness among the local population, so that they are aware of when the collection lorries will be passing by, and to prevent haphazard dumping. The MINHDU also instructed service providers to set up a good night shift system to optimise the expected results. The Minister of Housing and Urban Development saw these as excellent prospects for restoring the capital city to its former brilliance. MINHDU was joined on this occasion by her close collaborators, as well as the Chairperson of the United Cities and Councils of Cameroon (UCCC), and the representatives of the mayors of the seven sub-divisional Councils of the city of Yaoundé.
Sous la haute impulsion de Mme le Ministre, et à travers des projets de proximité sociale menés par la DDSU, le MINHDU poursuit ses efforts de renforcement des capacités des Comités de quartiers en vue de permettre à leurs habitants de prendre en charge l’amélioration de leur cadre de vie, en synergie avec les Communes. C’est dans cette perspective qu’a été remis ce jour un important don en équipements et matériels aux Comités de développement des quartiers Nkomkana 2 dans la Commune d’Arrondissement de Yaoundé 2e et Ekorezock dans la Commune d’Arrondissement de Yaoundé 7e.
C’est donc une population enthousiaste qui a accueilli les représentants de Mme le Ministre, venus remettre aux Présidents de ces Comités des équipements tels que les tricycles, les bacs à ordures roulants, les pelles, bottes, brouettes, râteaux, etc. Ces équipements renforceront la pré-collecte des déchets dans ces quartiers. Les Comités ont en outre bénéficié de matériels d’animation (sono, tentes, chaises, etc.), dont l’exploitation permettra leur autonomisation.
En saluant l’action du MINHDU, les Comités de développement se sont engagés à gagner la bataille de l’hygiène et la salubrité, pour un cadre sain offert par leurs quartiers. Une phrase tirée de l’allocution de Monsieur le 2e Adjoint au Maire de Yaoundé 7 résume le sentiment de reconnaissance de l’action menée par le MINHDU : « Là où le MINHDU passe, l’insalubrité trépasse ».
La remise de ces dons se poursuivra la semaine prochaine dans la ville de Douala.
L’important projet de la voie de contournement de Yaoundé était au centre des échanges entre le Ministre de l’Habitat et du Développement Urbain et une importante délégation conduite par Mr Nikolaos Milianitis, Chef de la représentation régionale Afrique centrale de la Banque Européenne d’Investissement (BEI) ce 10 juillet 2024. Mr Milianitis était accompagné des responsables de l’Union Européenne (UE) et de l’Agence Française de Développement (AFD). Une occasion saisie par le MINHDU de revisiter les multiples projets sur les rails pour la transformation de la ville de Yaoundé entre autres; Yaoundé Cœur de Ville, Move Yaoundé, la Plateforme Urbaine au Cameroun, ainsi que la Voie de Contournement de Yaoundé et le BRT , qui sont d’importants projets de mobilité mettant en exergue la mobilité durable. De façon plus spécifique, les hôtes du Ministre ont suivi une présentation sur l’évolution du projet de la voie de contournement de Yaoundé et surtout les mécanismes à mettre en place pour le démarrage en fin d’année 2024 du tronçon prioritaire T3 qui va de Nkozoa (RN1) à Minkoameyos (Autoroute Yaoundé –Douala ).
Les échanges ont permis aux deux parties apprécier le niveau de préparation mais aussi de jeter un regard sur les autres projets cités plus haut. Clôturant l’audience, le Ministre de l’Habitat et du Développement Urbain s’est réjoui du partage de vision avec ses hôtes du jour pour ces projets cruciaux et stratégiques pour l’atteinte des Objectifs de Développement Durables (ODD) et a convoqué l’urgence d’une préparation d’un Comité de pilotage qui réuni tous les projets de la team Europe, mais aussi une table ronde restreinte des bailleurs pour la VCY.
