In a recent article published by The Guardian Post Newspaper ISSUE N° 2839, titled Welcome to Yaounde. The author Maxcel Fokwen paints a bleak picture of the capital city of Cameroon, Yaounde. He also criticizes the government for its failure to provide basic services and infrastructure to its citizens. The article makes several claims about the state of affairs in Yaounde, such as the lack of potable water, decent roads, waste management and electricity supply.
However, a report by the 2022 council magazine “Des realisations et des perspectives” challenges these claims and presents a different perspective on the situation in Yaounde. The report highlights the achievements and progress made by the government in improving the living conditions and well-being of the people of Yaounde. In this fact-check, we will examine some of the claims made by both publications and assess their accuracy and validity based on available data and sources. The first claim is;
Claim: Cameroon is tailing in almost all aspects of basic services
Verdict: False
According to the Council Magazine, Cameroon has made significant progress in improving access to basic services such as water, sanitation, electricity and health care in recent years. For instance, the percentage of people with access to electricity increased from 53% in 2010 to 71% in 2019, while the percentage of people with access to improved water sources increased from 70% in 2010 to 78% in 2019. However, Cameroon still faces many challenges and gaps in providing quality and equitable basic services to its population, especially in rural areas and regions affected by conflict and displacement. Therefore, the claim that Cameroon is tailing in almost all aspects of basic services is mostly false, as it ignores the progress made and the diversity of situations across the country. Other sources that back this claim are Cameroon Overview – World Bank and Cameroon – World Development Indicators – World Bank.
Claim: Cameroon holds a score sheet of zero over a hundred in the provision of basic services
Verdict: False
In the same article Welcome to Yaounde, the author Maxcel claim is an exaggeration that does not reflect any objective or measurable indicator of the provision of basic services. As mentioned above, Cameroon has improved its access to basic services such as water, electricity and health care in recent years, although there are still significant gaps and challenges. Therefore, the claim that it holds a score sheet of zero over a hundred in the provision of basic services is false, as it does not correspond to any factual evidence or data.
Sources:
Claim: There is no such infrastructure in terms of roads in Yaounde in good condition that can be attributed to these tourneys
Verdict: Mostly true
Still in the same article Welcome to Yaounde roads and other infrastructures are in no good condition. According to the African Development Bank, Cameroon has invested heavily in infrastructure development projects in preparation for hosting the African Nations Championship (CHAN) and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) between 2019 and 2021. Some of these projects include the construction and rehabilitation of roads, stadiums, hotels and airports in Yaounde and other cities. However, many of these projects have faced delays, cost overruns and quality issues due to various factors such as poor planning, governance challenges, security risks and the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the claim that there is no such infrastructure in terms of roads in Yaounde in good condition that can be attributed to these tourneys is mostly true, as most of the road projects have not been completed or have not met the expected standards.
Sources:
- Cameroon Economic Outlook – African Development Bank
- Cameroon: Infrastructure development for CHAN and AFCON – African Development Bank
Claim: The government has been unable to solve this problem; despite contracting a 399 billion FCFA loan from the Eximbank of China to sponsor water production from the River Sanaga
Verdict: Mostly true
According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy of Cameroon, the government signed a loan agreement with the Eximbank of China in 2018 for the construction of a water supply project from the River Sanaga to Yaounde and its surroundings. The project aims to increase the production capacity of potable water by 300,000 cubic meters per day and improve access to water for about 2.5 million people. However, according to media reports, the project has faced several challenges and delays due to technical, financial and environmental issues. Therefore, the claim that the government has been unable to solve this problem; despite contracting a 399 billion FCFA loan from the Eximbank of China to sponsor water production from the River Sanaga is mostly true, as the project still needs to be completed or delivered as planned.
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