Yaounde: Luc Messi says ‘chronic underfunding’ to blame for city’s sorry state

The City Mayor of Yaounde, Luc Messi Atangana, says chronic underfunding of waste collection operations is to blame for the piles of waste suffocating the nation’s capital. To remedy the situation, Mayor Messi says FCFA 16B is needed to manage the city’s garbage annually.

The City Mayor of Yaounde, Luc Messi Atangana has blamed the waste disposal crisis that is currently affecting the capital city on what he describes as a chronic underfunding. According to reports, Mayor Luc Messi Atangana last March 20, 2025, shed light on the severe waste management crisis affecting the capital. He attributed the ongoing sanitation issues to two main causes: the expired contract with waste management company Hysacam and chronic underfunding of waste collection operations.

Atangana’s comments came after a meeting with Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute on February 25, 2025, where the growing garbage crisis was discussed. The mayor explained that the failure to renew the waste management contract, which expired at the end of 2023, and inadequate funding were the primary drivers of the problem.

While Hysacam, the long-standing waste collection partner, signed a new contract in February 2025 for several districts, the recruitment process for the third and sixth districts currently the hardest-hit areas remain stalled. Atangana revealed that the tender process for Lot 4, covering the third and sixth districts, had failed, with no clear reasons provided.

The Yaoundé urban community and the Ministry of Public Procurement are blaming each other for the delays, while accusations have surfaced of attempts to award a sole-sourced contract to Tychlof Sarl, a company that failed to meet expectations under an earlier emergency sanitation plan. Despite Hysacam’s renewed contract, the company still has not received the formal service order from the Yaoundé urban community to begin operations.

As a result, Hysacam is only able to operate at a minimal service level, further compounding the city’s waste management challenges. In addition to these contractual issues, Atangana emphasized the financial shortfall plaguing the sanitation system. He referred to a World Bank report stating that at least 16 billion CFA francs are needed annually to maintain a clean Yaounde.

However, the state’s contribution which is believed to 85% of the costs, and the Yaoundé urban community’s share which stands at 15% only cover half of the required amount. The new contract with Hysacam, worth 45 billion CFA francs over five years, will provide just 9 billion CFA francs annually far from enough to meet the city’s needs. Although Yaoundé generates around 3,000 tons of waste daily, the current contract only covers 1,600 tons, leaving a substantial gap in waste management capacity.

Atangana’s statement highlights the critical role of adequate funding and efficient contract management in addressing the city’s waste crisis. Despite the Prime Minister’s directive for an emergency cleanup plan to be put in place within eight days of the February 25 meeting, the plan has yet to be submitted, leaving residents frustrated as the sanitation crisis worsens.