The President of the North West Regional Assembly, Prof. Fru Angwafo III, is urging government and development actors to stop sidelining Persons with Disabilities and instead place them at the heart of budget planning and regional projects. Speaking during the Assembly’s June session, he declared that inclusivity is no longer a favour, it is a duty.
In a bold call for inclusive governance and equitable development in Cameroon’s North West Region, the President of the North West Regional Assembly, NWRA, Prof Fru Angwafo III, has urged both government bodies and development partners to prioritize Persons with Disabilities, PWDs in policy design and budget implementation. Speaking at the close of the June 2025 Ordinary Session of the NWRA, held under the theme “2025 Budget Orientation Debate and First Semester Review”, the regional leader emphasized that inclusivity must go beyond political discourse to become a sustained and actionable priority. “Inclusivity must not be a subject of debate; it is a permanent commitment.
Every budget we design must make room for the needs of Persons with Disabilities,” Prof. Fru Angwafo III stated. While existing social programs in sectors such as education and health often acknowledge PWDs, Prof. Fru lamented the lack of regional autonomy in most ministerial structures, which, he said, limits the ability to implement context-specific initiatives. “We are limited because not all ministries have the authority to act at the regional level. When ministries like Social Affairs and Women’s Empowerment send their specifications, only then can we mobilize resources effectively,” he explained.
Despite these institutional constraints, the NWRA President reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to designing future development projects that place PWDs and women, especially those in underserved rural communities, at the center.
Citizens Urged to Champion Peace and Development
The Assembly session also emphasized the role of community-driven development in fostering peace and reconciliation. Representing the Head of State, Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique called on citizens to take ownership of local development initiatives and contribute meaningfully to peacebuilding efforts. “Without peace, there can be no sustainable development. We need a bottom-up approach where every citizen is a partner in progress,” the Governor declared.
His message resonated strongly amid the ongoing Anglophone crisis. The Governor further encouraged collaboration between community leaders, divisional representatives, and civil society organizations to rebuild fractured communities and restore social cohesion.
Bridging development gaps across divisions
Divisional Representatives raised serious concerns about disparities in project distribution, revealing that some areas have received little to no development funding from the NWRA. In response, the Assembly pledged to reassess its project bank to ensure a fairer, needs-based allocation of resources across all divisions.
Prof. Fru called on Assembly members to take active roles in peace and development committees, emphasizing that inclusive governance requires sustained engagement beyond plenary sessions.
Progress in education amidst challenges
The Assembly reported significant progress in the education sector, with student enrollment rising from 84,000 in 2024 to 103,000 in 2025. Currently, 318 schools are operational across the region. However, many rural schools remain deprived of basic services, including potable water, electricity, and adequate classroom infrastructure. Prof. Fru urged the Education Committee to work in close partnership with the Ministry of Secondary Education to close these gaps, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.
Health efforts centering community needs
In the health sector, the Assembly announced plans to collaborate with the Regional Delegation of Public Health to develop localized solutions that improve healthcare access. Key focus areas include reducing infant mortality and enhancing medical infrastructure in rural areas. Development priorities, officials said, will be shaped by the specific needs of communities, with particular attention to vulnerable populations who are often overlooked.
