Yagoua, Mayo Danay – Today marks a historic milestone for the Mayo Danay region and the entire cross-border community with the official inauguration of the bridge over the Logone River by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Dr. Chief Joseph Dion Ngute. This long awaited infrastructure is more than just a means of connection; it embodies a powerful lever for development, a symbol of cooperation, and a promise of resilience for the riverside populations and beyond.
The strategic importance of this bridge is multifaceted, and its benefits extend to various societal actors. For local authorities, this bridge opens new perspectives in terms of territorial planning, facilitating access to public services, strengthening security in this border area, and enabling better coordination of development actions on both sides of the river. It is an essential tool for opening up isolated areas and driving progress at the departmental level.
The population of Mayo Danay and adjacent areas is undoubtedly the primary beneficiary of this achievement. The crossings of the Logone, often perilous and costly, especially during the rainy season, will be significantly eased and secured. This will improve access to markets, health centers, schools, and strengthen social and cultural ties between communities previously separated by the river. It is a tangible renewal of hope for thousands of people whose daily lives will be positively transformed.
For businesspeople and small traders, the bridge over the Logone ushers in a new era for cross-border trade. The exchange of goods and services will be streamlined, transportation costs reduced, and business opportunities multiplied. This bridge will facilitate access to neighboring markets, stimulate local production by offering new outlets, and contribute to wealth creation in the region. It is the indispensable link for the flourishing of a more dynamic and integrated local and regional economy.
The youth, whether those present at the project site or Cameroonian youth as a whole, find in this bridge a reason for optimism. Beyond the direct and indirect job opportunities generated during the construction phase, this infrastructure creates an environment conducive to the emergence of new economic activities and the improvement of living conditions, thereby reducing rural exodus and offering prospects for the future in their own region.
This bridge is also a powerful symbol of commercial pacifism. By facilitating economic and human interactions between Cameroon and Chad, it strengthens good neighborly relations, promotes mutual trust, and contributes to the establishment of a climate of peace and stability essential for the harmonious development of the sub-region. It materializes the will of the two nations to cooperate closely for the well-being of their populations.
Dr. Chief Joseph Dion Ngute, Prime Minister, Head of Government, is fully aware of the considerable stakes linked to this infrastructure. His ambition is clear: to make this bridge a catalyst for the resilience of the peoples living on both sides of the Logone. The goal is to enable these communities, often faced with economic and environmental challenges, to strengthen their capacity to face adversities, seize opportunities, and build a prosperous future.
Financed thanks to the valuable contribution of development partners such as the African Development Bank and the European Union, this bridge, 620 meters long and accompanied by modern access roads, represents a major investment in the region’s future. Its inauguration is not an end in itself but the starting point of a new dynamic of development and cooperation.
Ultimately, the bridge over the Logone is much more than infrastructure; it is a physical and symbolic link, a driver of economic growth, a factor of regional integration, and a pillar for strengthening community resilience. Under the leadership of the Head of Government, this structure is sustainably positioned as a major asset for progress and shared prosperity in Mayo Danay and beyond its borders.
Thanks to the Minister of Youth, who will develop civic local management through the ‘reboot’ of its direct and indirect beneficiaries of this productive asset.
Thanks to the populations who will rise to the occasion of this modern infrastructure by using it responsibly.
Thanks to the President of the Republic for the timely implementation of the mega local bridge, which is a source of mobilization behind the Father of the Nation, who always thinks of his now impregnable stronghold.
Dr. Dobah Djakdjing Vincent de Paul, Jurist Political Scientist, Senior Youth and Action Counsellor, Minjec
