If there is one thing the inhabitants of Bamenda should be grateful for regarding the announced visit of Pope Leo XIV, it is the infrastructure boost the visit will bring to the North West Regional capital. The Pontiff is scheduled to make a stopover in the town on April 16, 2026, as part of his three-day visit to the country. Preparations have reached a fever peak, with Public Works Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi coming to Bamenda to ensure that road works on the Bamenda Urban Crossing are going smoothly.
On Thursday, March 19, 2026, the Minister visited sections of the Bamenda Urban Crossing road project to assess the progress of the work carried out by BUNS Construction Company.
Nganou Djoumessi appreciated the work done so far and urged that one section of the road that must be completed before the Pope’s visit on April 16 is the stretch from Hospital Roundabout to Saint Bless Hospital in Big Mankon.
During the meeting, it was also explained that documents for people whose properties were destroyed or have not yet been affected will be processed in order to ensure that they receive compensation.
The General Manager of BUNS Construction Company also discussed some challenges encountered during the bridge construction, including damage to water pipes that caused a serious water crisis in Bamenda. He assured residents that the situation is under control and that water supply will be restored in the affected areas.
At the end of his visit, Minister Nganou Djoumessi announced that work will soon begin on roads such as the Bafut–Wum and Bamenda–Mbengwi stretches. He also mentioned the rehabilitation of Station Hill Road up to Governor’s Junction and to École Du Champion at Up Station Bamenda. Others include Bamenda-Ndop-Babessi, among others.
This report was first published in NewsWatch newspaper No 229 of Monday, March 23, 2026.
