Following its stop in Bikok, AfroLeadership’s 2026 Citizen Budget awareness caravan continued on 17 April to the commune of Bana, in the Haut-Nkam Division, West Region.
Known for the vitality of its first-degree traditional chieftaincy and the remarkable mobilisation of its diaspora, Bana welcomed the workshop in a spirit of attentiveness and ownership. Municipal councillors, traditional notables, representatives of youth and women’s organisations, and local economic actors took part in the proceedings led by Gabriel Sitezeu Towen, Director of Civic Technologies at AfroLeadership.
Discussions covered the architecture of the 2026 Finance Law — XAF 8,816.4 billion, representing a 14% increase over 2025 — with particular attention to provisions most directly affecting decentralised territorial communities: transfers of competencies, grants, additional communal centimes, and sectoral investments in education, health and productive infrastructure.
A significant portion of the session was dedicated to Law No. 2018/011 of 11 July 2018 on the Code of Transparency and Good Governance, which requires local authorities to establish mechanisms for disseminating budget information and mandates the involvement of civil society in its outreach.
The Bana workshop confirms a reality encountered at every stage of the caravan: the demand for accessible budget information is high, and local stakeholders — elected officials and citizens alike — are actively seeking concrete tools to exercise meaningful oversight.
Next stops: Lagdo (North), Garoua-Boulaï and Mandjou (East).
For more information, click the following link to download the 2026 Citizen Budget