As the pallbearers solemnly carried the casket of Mfoome Ndzerem Stephen Njodzeka out of the Piazza of the St Joseph Metropolitan Cathedral Big Mankon on Saturday, April 12, 2025, the air was heavy not only with grief but also with purpose. A man described as a “powerhouse,” “a man amongst men,” and “an extraordinary philanthropist and humanitarian ” had passed. But his vision, embedded in decades of selfless service, echoed louder than the sorrow in the hearts of mourners.
Remains of Mfoome Ndzerem Stephen laying in state at the St Joseph Metropolitan Cathedral Piazza
Among those who stood to affirm that the legacy of the late Director General of the Strategic Humanitarian Services (SHUMAS) will live on, were representatives of Building Schools for Africa (BSFA), one of SHUMAS’ strongest international partners.
Speaking during the lay-in-state and decorations event at the Cathedral, Marianne Johnson, speaking on behalf of the BSFA Trustees from the United Kingdom, made a moving declaration that despite the passing of their long-term partner, their mission in Cameroon remains unshaken.
“We will continue assisting communities across Cameroon,” she promised, her voice quivering with emotion.
“We have full trust and confidence in his wife, Billian Nyuykighan, who also doubles as the Programmes Coordinator. We believe she will carry on Stephen’s work with the same dedication and heart.”
Their written tribute in the funeral booklet summed up nearly two decades of collaboration and friendship:
“Stephen was unique: a powerhouse and a man amongst men. A light has been extinguished but his legacy remains… We thank Heaven that he and the SHUMAS management team had made succession plans in recent years, so that the wonderful work of SHUMAS can continue even without him at the helm.”
The Trustees of BSFA, recounted how they met Stephen in 2006 while volunteering in Cameroon.
“He immediately impressed us with his energy and passion for helping poor rural communities. Ours is a partnership which seems to have worked miracles… We will miss his vision, his generosity of spirit, and his wonderful sense of humour. A light has been extinguished, but his legacy remains.” they wrote
The emotional ceremony was further marked by a rare and prestigious national honour: on behalf of the Government of Cameroon, North West Governor Lele Lafrique Adolphe Tchoffo decorated the late Mfoome Stephen Njodzeka as Officer of the Order of Valour, an elevation that publicly acknowledged his decades of selfless service to humanity. It was a fitting tribute for a man whose life's work impacted more than 10 million lives across all ten regions of Cameroon and beyond.
In his own tribute printed in the funeral booklet, Governor Lele Lafrique lauded Stephen's contributions to the country’s development objectives.
“He assisted the Cameroon Government in building over 1,000 schools... he was an exemplary developer and philanthropist. His contributions impacted lives in humanitarian and developmental axes,” the Governor noted.
The homily by Archbishop Andrew Nkea, President of the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, described the deceased as “a man of strong faith, a devoted Christian, and selfless leader... How can we forget the schools he constructed and equipped, the health centres, the drinking water, and electricity he brought to remote communities in Cameroon and beyond?” His Grace Andrew Nkea wondered allowed
Indeed, countless lives across the country and the Central African subregion bore witness to SHUMAS’ great touch from classrooms in Kousseri to boreholes in Akwaya, and from health centres in Mbouda to livelihood projects in Bamenda.
His wife, Yaa Billian Nyuykighan, fighting through tears in her eulogy, described a partnership rooted in love, mutual respect, and shared purpose.
“We supported each other and celebrated each other... Your absence leaves a vacuum in our lives that can never truly be filled.”
His 87-year-old mother, Mama Helena Ngo, captured the pain of a parent burying a son at the peak of his prime.
“My dearest son, I am overwhelmed with grief… I pray God welcomes you into His heavenly arms,” she wrote.
Born on July 20, 1970, in Kumbo, Ndzerem Stephen’s journey from working rice farms during school holidays to fund his education, to founding SHUMAS in 1997, is a story of grit, vision, and boundless compassion. A graduate in Private Law from the University of Yaoundé, he turned his entrepreneurial start with Hillman Company into a force for good, evolving into a humanitarian powerhouse that earned SHUMAS consultative status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council.
Mfoome Stephen held several titles across Cameroon, reflecting his wide impact. He was also former President General of the Nso Village Cultural and Development Association (NSODA) and a member of the Civil Society Reconstruction Plan Committee for the North West Region.
His burial at his Ntamafe II Bamendakwe Upstation Bamenda residence marked the end of a week-long mourning period, which began with a wake in Maryland, USA, on Saturday April 5. Daily Masses at his residence followed from April 8 to 10, a wake on April 11, and then the final burial rites on April 12.
Though the earth has received his body, Mfoome Ndzerem Stephen Njodzeka’s legacy lives in the millions of Cameroonian lives he transformed. And as Marianne Johnson reminded mourners, it is a legacy SHUMAS, under the capable leadership of his widow, will continue to uphold.
A humanitarian giant may have fallen, but his mission lives on.
By Bakah Derick
Photos by Chana Paul and Nfor Abdurahaman
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