President Paul Biya starts his 27 minutes address to his fellow Cameroonians by spelling out one of his objectives, that of restoring security in Cameroon.
It is not surprising that in his 2025 New Year message to the nation, he highlights security as a “national cause”. He takes it personal, when he says: “I can assure you that all is being done to bring lasting peace across our territory”. This reveals the fatherhood in a man who is not only concerned about the safety of his children, but determined to restore lasting peace through the combined action of the defence and police forces, the administrative authorities, as well as the entire populace. Granted, there are still some sporadic attacks by the Boko Haram terrorist group in the Northern regions, and the separatist groups in the English speaking regions of the country. Overall, th actions by these groups are contained by the forces of law and order, thereby ensuring stabilty in the country. While emphasizing his attachement to National Unity, progress and peace, the president is adamant about a “one and indivisible Cameroon”. With open arms, he is still calling on his children to drop their weapons and take up the offer of peace and join the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Centres, where they will learn different trades that will ease their social integration. Peace and security are prerequisites for the Economic and social progress of the country, the president admits.
Strengthening Economic Growth.
Although Cameroonians have experienced their own share of exogenous shocks such as, the war in Eastern Europe, the Middle East conflits, the gloomy capital and commodity markets, climate disruptions, inflationary pressures and oil price fluctuations, Cameroon has still shown growth prospects. In his message to the people, president Paul Biya mentioned that, the country’s economy has witnessed renewed activity with an estimated growth rate of 3.8% in 2024 vs. 4.1% projected in 2025. However, measures taken to limit speculative behavior and increase supply of essentiel goods have also helped to contain the 2024 inflation rate to 5% vs. 7.4% in 2023. Although still high, President Paul Biya reassured Cameroonians about the economic growth prospects by enumerating some economic pillars which could revive the economy, including: reducing trade balance deficit, ensuring food sovereignty; the integrated agro-pastoral and fisheries import-substition plan which he announced last year is starting to yield tangible fruits.
Tangible Economic Outcomes Witnessed
- 452 tones of seeds
- 12,800 tones of flour
- Aluminium exports
- Kribi Port Authority’s Integrated Industrial area for procession cocoa, coffee, and rubber are operationnal
- Specialized economic zones for processing cereals, tubers, milk and its byproducts are also being set up
- Industrialisation: Cameroon has the largest tile production plant in Central Africa creating about 2500 direct jobs
- The 6th cement plant in Cameroon has been commissioned
- The mining sector of Cameroon has also been commissioned in Kribi-Lobe, Bipindi-Grand Zambie and Mbalam-Nabeba iron deposits
- The Minim-Martap bauxite convention has also been signed.
All the above, as mentioned by the president, is meant to increase the volume of financial ressources needed for the development of other projects.
Improving the Living Conditions of Cameroonians
It has always been President Paul Biya’s key priority to improve the standard of living of all Cameroonians eventhough this goal remains a challenge in the areas of:
- Electricity power supply
- Drinking water supply
- Healthcare delivery
- Road infrastructures
- Dual nationality
- Lack of National Identity Cards
Nonthless, Phase IV of the Electric Power Supply Project to electrify 1000 localities with Solar Energy will continue.
– construction of 366 Solar Power Plants Administrative Units are yet to be electrified
– Campaign to connect 8000 households drinking water network has been initiated in the city of Yaoundé
– ln Douala the rehabilitation and extension of the Japoma water works is ongoing, while the mega project engineering studies for drinking water supply have been completed
– Upgrading drinking water production facilities is ongoing in many secondary towns, with the goal of providing quality water in all localities
– The Ngaoundere and Bertoua regional hospitals were inaugurated recently in an effort to enhance health care delivery and expanding the health care map
– 9944 health care workers will be recruited over the next 5 years thereby reducing unemployment and improving patient care
– Concerning teachers, dialogue between gouvernement and Trade Unions is ongoing to address aspirations and concerns of teachers
– 446 Kilometers of roads were paved Nationwide
– 228 Kilometers of road rehabilitated
– Other road rehabilitation projects will be launched in 2025 such as: Bekoko-Limbe-Idenau, and Mutengene-Buea sections
– Some long anticipated road projects under extensive negociations with donors are set to begin such as: Ngaoundere-Garoua; Ebolowa-Akom ll-Kribi ; and the Mora-Kousseri roads
– Yaounde-Nsimalen motoway has started while phase 2 of Yaoundé-Douala motoway is making progress.
All said and done, to achieve all the foregoing projects, president Biya stated that improved governance across all sectors of activities is pivotal. The Extraordinary Summit of CEMAC member states underscores the pressing need to implement the required structural reforms for fiscal consolidation within the subregion.
To achieve this, good governance is imperative as well as stepping up the fight against corruption and misappropriation of public funds. Once again, we see a president who vows to take appropriate sanctions against those found guilty of misappropriation of public funds and violating land tenure security.
The president also mentioned the implementation of specific plan to construct and rehabilitate critical flood protection facilities in regions impacted by natural disasters due to climate change and other tragedies like the Dschang Cliff landslide, floods in the Far North region.
As the year 2025 is a year of elections, the president is calling on all stakeholders to show proof of maturity and responsibility while ensuring that peace and stability prevail before, during, and after elections. He ends his speech by assuring Cameroonians of his determination to fulfil all the objectives set in his mandat while reassuring Cameroonians of his continous service to the people. 2025 will be challenging, but together we can turn the lemons into lemonades in security and peace.
We see a president who starts and ends his message emphasizing the need for peace and security for development to unfold; A president who has démonstrated in his message that he is not out of touch with all the realities facing Cameroonians… From poor gabage disposal in Yaoundé to the deteriorating roads causing accidents, corruptions, poor power and water supply and many more. As a patriarch he speaks in parables at times, and it is upto Cameroonians to dicerpher or read in between the lines the 2025 New Year message to the nation.
Best wishes to all Cameroonians.
Caroline Okie-Anoma
