BAMENDA, Cameroon : Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has on the 5th of Octobe5 2026 supervised the distribution of food and non-food items, including rice and financial assistance, to hundreds of households in Bamenda, North-West Region.
According to Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), approximately 3,500 people from about 650 households benefited from the humanitarian assistance, which was presented as a gesture from President Paul Biya and his wife, Chantal Biya.
The distribution exercise was held at the esplanade of the Senior Divisional Officer’s office in Bamenda, with the Territorial Administration Minister overseeing the operation.
Assistance Presented as a Gesture of Appreciation
Speaking during the distribution, Atanga Nji said the assistance was sent by President Paul Biya and First Lady Chantal Biya as a token of appreciation to the population.
The Minister linked the gesture to what he described as the population’s support during President Biya’s re-election and their mobilisation during Pope Leo’s visit to Cameroon.
The assistance reportedly included food items and financial support, targeting families considered to be in need across the North-West Region.
Why Women Were Prioritised
Explaining the decision to give priority to women, Minister Atanga Nji offered a controversial justification.
He suggested that men could take money and spend it on alcohol or give it to women, whereas women, he argued, were more likely to take the assistance home and use it to support their families.
The remarks drew attention to the minister’s explanation for the gender-based targeting of beneficiaries, even as the distribution itself focused on providing immediate assistance to households.
3,500 Beneficiaries Receive Humanitarian Support
According to CRTV, the operation reached approximately 3,500 individuals representing about 650 households.
The intervention comes as communities in Cameroon’s North-West Region continue to face significant humanitarian and socioeconomic challenges linked to years of armed conflict and displacement.
For many vulnerable households, food assistance and financial support can provide immediate relief amid difficult economic circumstances.
Presidential Humanitarian Gesture in the North-West
The Bamenda distribution is being presented by government authorities as part of efforts to extend assistance to vulnerable populations in the North-West.
While the exercise provided material support to hundreds of families, it also generated discussion around the political messaging accompanying the distribution, particularly its connection to the President’s re-election and the Pope’s visit.
The assistance ultimately reached thousands of people, with authorities emphasising the need for families to benefit directly from the food and financial support.
BeriComsEmpire will continue to follow developments concerning humanitarian assistance, governance and the situation of vulnerable communities in Cameroon.
