Minister Georges Elanga Obam
By Ahone Heidi
Cameroon’s Minister of Decentralization and Local Development Georges Elanga Obam has introduced a new funding mechanism for decentralized local governments.
The initiative, called “Performance-Based Grant,” is part of the World Bank-backed Local Governance and Resilient Communities Project (Prolog). This grant, totaling CFA28.3 billion, will benefit 187 municipalities across six regions involved in the Prolog: the Far North, North, Adamawa, East, Northwest, and Southwest.
“The Performance-Based Grant is a new funding avenue for local governments. We expect that communities affected by climate issues and other crisis will gain access to more resilient infrastructure. By meeting the grant’s eligibility requirements, local governments can sustainably improve their governance and service delivery,” the minister said.
Over three years, municipalities will receive these additional funds, but they must meet specific eligibility criteria. Grants will be awarded based on the performance of local governments in governance and service delivery.
To ensure fair distribution of funds, self-assessment mechanisms will be implemented, starting in the municipalities on October 15. The final evaluation results will be published by December 2025.
The funds are meant to help communities address climate change, natural disasters, refugee flows, and other crises.
“The Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development allocates investment resources to local governments equally. Each of the 360 municipalities receives CFA100 million annually, while each of the 14 urban communities gets CFA284 million. Each regional council receives CFA1 billion. Overall, the ministry provides local governments with approximately CFA50 billion from the state’s own resources,” Georges Elanga Obam emphasized.
The Performance-Based Grant enhances the existing funding mechanism for local governments.
This initiative stems from a credit agreement signed on November 20, 2024, between Cameroon and the World Bank to finance the Prolog. The World Bank mobilized CFA189.2 billion for five years, and on May 10, President Paul Biya signed a decree to publish this agreement. The project, structured around four components, aims to support Cameroon in managing risks related to increasing violence and its decentralization policy. It combines support for decentralization with development commitments while strengthening the resilience of communities, particularly vulnerable households affected by conflicts. The main goal is to improve community access to climate-resilient infrastructure and enhance local capacity to manage resources and provide essential services.