Decentralising Forest Exploitation : Buea, Kumba One Receive Pioneer Managing Plans

Buea Council in Fako Division and Kumba One Council in Meme Division have become pioneer beneficiaries of approved management plans over their local forests. Erem Delphine Ikome, South West Regional Delegate of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) handed the approved management plans to each of the Mayors of Buea and Kumba One Councils. The Buea Mayor represented by Second Deputy Mosoko Edward Motuwe, and Kumba One Mayor Eseme Moses Esembe received their forest management plans from the hands of the MINFOF Delegate in the premises of MINFOF Buea last 14 June, 2024.
Both Councils were among the 30 recipients of Cameroon State forests transferred since 2012 from the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife. The transfer of forests from MINFOF to local councils in 2012 was in compliance with the current decentralisation drive in Cameroon.
Devolved for local sustainable exploitation, the Forest Reserves of Buea (Fako Division) and Lake Barombi Mbo (Meme Division) have been in the hands of their local governments for more than 11 years now while detailed management plans were under studies by experts and subsequent approval by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife.
Until 2012, the management of forests was the direct affair of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife through the Programme of Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (PSMNR). The MINFOF had achieved a heightened ...