“The Yaoundé of today is unrecognizable from the city it was two decades ago, an evolution defined by modern infrastructure spreading out from the city center.” These are the words of a native of Cameroon’s political capital. Mbarga Obama, now around 90 years old, joyfully recounts the major stages of his village’s transformation into a major city. “The city where I was born now stretches far beyond the seven hills for which it is known. I truly appreciate this development.”
“In the past, the urban center was limited to the Atemengué plateau, with only a slight expansion towards neighborhoods like Mokolo and Nlong-Kak,” he adds. “Everything else was semi-rural.”
Since then, much has changed. The former village now attracts thousands of new people seeking to settle there each year, swelling the population to such an extent that some surrounding localities have been absorbed into the city.
This substantial expansion is a topic of discussion for many urban planners, such as Blaise Feugang, the departmental delegate for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Nyong et So’o. “In a city like Yaoundé, we need to adopt vertical construction rather than the horizontal sprawl we see now,” he insists. “Building multi-story structures is more economical, if only in terms of the utilities to be installed on a site. Besides, aesthetically pleasing buildings add to the beauty of our cities.”
For many experts, creating a more attractive political capital requires a significant choice: either Cameroon relocates its capital entirely to a new site that can be built to international standards, or it must assist families in improving their current homes.
