The year 2025 may not have been that pregnant with events but would go down as one of the most important in the history of Cameroon. It was the year the country held it’s 12th presidential election since independence and the 8th under president Paul Biya.
Incumbent Paul Biya won his 8th election at the overripe age of 92 years against Issa Tchiroma, one time member of his cabinet. His victory with 53.66% against the runner up 35.19 % sparked nation wide protest leading to lost of life and the arrest of hundred of others. Despite these protests, Mr. Biya finally took his oath of office on November 6, 2025.
This election was soon followed by another, Regional elections where the rolling CPDM consolidated it’s grip on power, winning in all ten regions.
President Biya ended the year with a note of satisfaction of the country’s achievements and hope for a better 2026.
In the economic front Cameroon started 2025 with a state budget of 7,317.7 billion francs CFA. The country recorded a projected growth rate of between 3.9 and 4.2 mostly fueled by rising cocoa prices in the world market. In the course of the year a kilogram of cocoa rose over the 5,000 francs mark, impacting hugely the economy off cocoa producing regions and towns like Kumba in the Southwest region.
Just like else where in Cameroon, the Northwest saw huge PIB inputs, in areas like building of the Bamenda gas plant, road construction, the Regional Assembly and Hotel and more.
In the area of security, the country in 2025 continued to battle with insurgency in the Northwest and South west regions and a terrorist crisis in the far North region. The violence persisted in these regions claiming several lives on both sides.
Diplomatically, French President Emmanuel Macron officially acknowledged France’s historical actions against the Cameroonian independence movement (1945–1971) describing it as a “war”. But the bad news on this front where Cameroon has always scored high was the non payment of African Union dues amounting to over 2 billion.
In sports, Cameroonian national basketball team finished in fourth place in the Afro Basket Ball championship after losing the third-place match to Senegal in August.
The National football team ended the year with a place in the 16th finals of AFCON after recording two wins and a draw in the group stages, qualifying second behind the Cote d’Ivoire in Morocco. This achievement comes at a time when a local coach was drafted in to take over from Marc Brys who was shown the door shortly after Samuel Eto’o Fils won in an election he ran unopposed.
The year also ended with Colombe of Nja as champions of the elite one championship and Panthere of the Nde as winner of the cup of Cameroon after 16 years
Concerning the northwest region, Hong Sport Academy lost its elite one status and was relegated into the regional league.
Dream FC emerged champions of the Northwest regional league but failed the region at the level of the national interpools. At the same time final touches were being placed at the Bamenda proximity stadium, a synthetic pitch in Bamenda I, while grass was slowly taking shape in the Bamenda Municipal stadium.
Though dough in many ways for people of the region, the coming year 2026 could be different especially as we see massive infrastructural developments on the horizon.
