Bamenda hosting the Clean City Contest event 2025 to win or lose! Time to copy Nkambe

In the early 2000s, Bamenda proudly held the title of Cameroon's cleanest city. However, over the past two decades, this accolade has faded, with the city now grappling with significant waste management challenges. Streets are littered, waste piles up at every corner, and markets struggle with sanitation issues. The once-clear waterways are now clogged, leading to frequent floods. In stark contrast, Nkambe has risen to prominence, securing the second position in the 2024 Clean City Contest in Cameroon. In a public notice signed by the Mayor of Nkambe, Musa Shey Nfor on March 23, 2025, his council will not be participating in the contest this year so as to permit host of the award event Bamenda to stand a chance.

Waste management truck in Bamenda 

With Nkambe stepping aside from the 2025 competition, Bamenda's councils comprising the City Council and the Bamenda I, II, and III Subdivisional Councils have a unique opportunity to reclaim their former glory. To achieve this, they must draw valuable lessons from Nkambe's success.

Nkambe's achievements can be largely attributed to the steadfast commitment of its leadership. The "Clean Habits, Clean City" campaign, championed by the Nkambe Council, was more than just a slogan. From the results, it became a movement permeating every community facet. The Council's proactive approach, including regular clean-up campaigns involving community volunteers, council workers, and local organisations, underscored the importance of collective responsibility. As the Nkambe Mayor once aptly stated, "The cleanliness of our streets reflects the pride we take in our town." 

For Bamenda, this emphasises the necessity of visionary leadership that formulates policies and actively participates in their execution, thereby inspiring residents to follow suit.

A visible hurdle in Bamenda's waste management is the ambiguity surrounding the responsibilities of the City Council versus the Subdivisional Councils. While the law designates waste management as the purview of the City Council, this delineation should not preclude the Subdivisional Councils from playing an active role. Nkambe's model demonstrates that when various municipal bodies collaborate effectively, the results are tangible and long lasting. Establishing clear communication channels and delineating specific roles can mitigate overlaps and ensure a cohesive strategy toward cleanliness.

Nkambe's approach was deeply rooted in promoting community ownership of public spaces. Regular clean-up campaigns were not solely council-driven but were communal events involving schools, markets, and local organisations. This inclusive strategy cultivated a sense of pride and collective responsibility among residents. In Bamenda, initiating similar community-driven programs (like the famous Thursday clean up) can bridge the gap between municipal efforts and public participation. 

Beyond physical clean-up exercises, Nkambe Council invested in educating its populace about the importance of hygiene and environmental conservation. Schools became focal points for instilling these values in the younger generation, ensuring the sustainability of the clean-up culture. Bamenda can adopt this proactive stance by integrating environmental education into schools and conducting regular sensitisation campaigns. 

As former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted, "Knowledge is power. Information is liberating." Empowering citizens with knowledge about the benefits of a clean environment can lead to more conscientious behaviour.

Nkambe's achievements were also facilitated by strategic investments in waste management infrastructure, such as the placement of waste collection points and the deployment of disposal teams. Bamenda's councils must prioritise the allocation of resources towards modern waste management systems, including adequate waste bins, regular waste collection services, and recycling facilities. 

The commitment of Nkambe's leadership translated policies into actionable programs. Bamenda's councils must exhibit similar political will, ensuring that policies are not only well-articulated but also effectively implemented. This may involve enacting and enforcing by-laws related to waste disposal, incentivising sustainable practices, and penalising non-compliance. As London Mayor Sadiq Khan emphasised, "Clean air is a human right." Extending this sentiment, a clean environment should be viewed as an inalienable right of every citizen, warranting dedicated efforts from governing bodies.

The recent launch of the 2025 Clean City and Quarter Contest by the Bamenda City Mayor, Paul Achobong, marks a crucial step towards reversing the city’s declining hygiene standards. Addressing quarter heads on February 19, 2025, the Observer237.com reports that the mayor declared an end to the reckless disposal of waste on the streets and into the city’s streams. 

“Pouring of garbage in the streams must end within this subdivision. We must consider the people who live downstream,” he said. 

Bamenda Mayor at launch of clean city campaign 

As part of this initiative, a van will be deployed to collect waste, with biodegradable waste directed to farms for agricultural use. To incentivise participation, the best-performing quarters will receive cash prizes, with the top quarter earning one million francs. His Royal Majesty, the Fon of Mankon, Fo Angwafo IV, lamented the state of the city, recalling Bamenda’s past glory as Cameroon’s cleanest city. The commitment to impose a fine of 15,000 francs on violators demonstrates the resolve to instil discipline and ensure lasting change. While this initiative is commendable, Bamenda’s councils must go beyond contest-based cleanliness and adopt sustainable strategies to maintain hygiene standards consistently.

Nkambe's journey from a participant to a frontrunner in Cameroon's Clean City Contest exemplifies the impact of cohesive leadership, community engagement, and strategic planning. Bamenda's councils stand at a major juncture where, by internalising these lessons and promoting a collaborative, well-coordinated approach to waste management, they can transform the city into a true destination of cleanliness and environmental stewardship. The path is clear: through unity, education, infrastructure development, and commitment, Bamenda can not only aspire to but achieve the admired title of Cameroon's cleanest city.

By Bakah Derick 

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