The Minister of Urban Development and Housing (Minduh), Célestine Ketcha Courtès, and the International Labor Organization (ILO) signed a XAF1.3 billion partnership agreement on October 8, 2020, in Yaoundé.  

The agreement falls within the framework of urban infrastructure development and decent youth job promotion project initiated to strengthen peace and socio-economic resilience in Maroua (Far North) and Bamenda (the Northwest).  

From the overall envelope, Bamenda will receive XAF293 million and the rest is for Maroua. These funds will be used for the implementation, between October 2020 and October 2022, of the "Capitales régionales" program financed by the C2D.

This program was elaborated to renovate and maintain urban infrastructure through the use of labor-intensive techniques which will create jobs and economic opportunities as well as promote SMEs.  

"The aim is to provide equipment and infrastructure, which we will need to maintain, for our cities. Using the labor-intensive approach, social facilities will be provided and jobs provided to the youth,”  said Sali Babani, mayor of Maroua.

According to the ILO, "this project will create 2,350 direct jobs and 9,305 indirect jobs for young people." François Murangira, Director of the ILO's Technical Support Team for Central Africa, explains that in its framework, many girls will be trained for various trades, including road maintenance.

Let’s note that the security crisis ongoing in the two beneficiary cities has seriously damaged local infrastructure.

D.M.