GP DERUDEP Gets FCFA 19.5 Billion Funding for Phase II

The Grass Feild Participatory and Decentralized Rural Development Project-GP DERUDEP has got a FCFA 12.5 billion from the African Development Bank-ADB and a FCFA 7 billion from the Cameroon government to alleviate poverty in the North West Region. The signing of the loan from ADB took place at the Bamenda Congress Hall on December 16, 2013 in the presence of Cameroons minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi and the ADB was represented by Leonard Sentore. GP DERUDEP Phase II, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi said is expected to boost agricultural infrastructures in some production basins. The project shall concerntrate it activities in high production areas like Santa, Tubah, Widikum, the Mbaw plain, Mbonso etc, The council areas which shall be reached by the project include Santa, Widikum, Ndu, Nwa, Zhoa and Mbiame council areas. And estimated 250.000 beneficiaries(producers, CIGs, Cooperatives) half of which would be women. It is also estimated that the project will enable additional agricultural production of about 37.000 tonnes. More so, beneficiaries are also expected to witness an increase in their income from 250.000 FCFA to about 370.000 FCFA by 2018. The financing plan of the project clearly spells out that the ADB shall provide FCFA 10.4 billion as loan and FCFA 2.38 billion as grant. On the other hand, Cameroon govrnment shall conribute FCFA 6.59 billion which constitutes about 34% of the total cost of the project. 

Fears abound as to whether half of the money will not be spent in one area. Santa for example with the troublesome irish seed farm maybe the mother sucker of the funds. Yet JB Ndeh, Director of MIDENO and general overseer of the project says since 1982 that government created MIDENO, FCFA 48 billion have been pumped into the region. Yet his critics are asking how much of the FCFA 48 billion has been disbursed to Santa alone?

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