The financial package, through SOWEDA, will boost development projects in the Region.

Some FCFA 3.8 billion will be available for poverty alleviation in the South West within the next three years. The money to be managed by SOWEDA (South West Development Authority), thanks to a three year Performance Contract from 2016 - 2018, carries a Restructuring Plan intended to empower SOWEDA to accomplish its primary mission of alleviating poverty in the South West and Cameroon in general.

Reason why, SOWEDA, through its Board Chairman Mr. Mbongo Molongo Noah, expressed appreciation to stakeholder Ministries particularly Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), Finance (MINFI) and Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT) for their active participation in elaborating the Performance Contract and especially to government for granting the enormous financial package of FCFA 3.879.000.000. While chairing the 34th Board of Directors session on Friday, November 27, 2015, he disclosed that the session was devoted to examine and adopt the Program of Work  of SOWEDA  for 2016.

  On the performances of SOWEDA, the Board Chair recalled that the Running Budget of SOWEDA that witnessed an increase from FCFA 250 million in 2013 to FCFA 700 million in 2014, and maintained in 2015, permitted SOWEDA to pay off social and commercial debts that it inherited from the defunct Integrated Rural Development Project. Moreover, the Investment Budget allocated by MINADER that was increased from FCFA 100 million to FCFA 300 million in 2013, enabled SOWEDA to carry out more infrastructural developments such as rehabilitation of farm- to - market roads, provision of potable water and construction of market hangers, amongst others.

The General Manager of SOWEDA, Mr. Andrew Eneme Ngome, was optimistic that SOWEDA is poised to better address the rural development challenges in 2016. "2015 like any other budgetary year has its challenges," he said. "Climate change is one of such challenges that have more of negative than positive effects on us. We have not been able to follow the agricultural calendar due to either the late coming of rain or in some areas no rain at all, or therefore no water." 

Talking to the press, he said new vehicles thanks to Government, will help SOWEDA to better function in the field. He revealed that in 2015, SOWEDA built about two market hangars, two roads, and provided water to some villages, among others. He assured that in 2016, SOWEDA will continue in the same vein of producing planting materials to farmers, road infrastructure in some divisions, working on the accounting system, rehabilitation of the equipment pool, amongst others.