Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon
Buea-based Civil Society Organisation, Nkong Hill Top Association for Development, NADEV, thinks that the development of Tiko municipality cannot be complete without the Council authorities, staff and business operators factoring in issues about gender and entrepreneurial development.
Participants pose for a family pic after workshop at the Tiko Council Chamber
At a recent workshop held at the Tiko Council Chamber, NADEV Coordinator, Vincent Anu said development is change in the positive direction while sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs. He will invite the Tiko council authorities who are the custodians of local development to create an avenue for growth within the municipality, urging them to focus on economic growth, employment opportunities and explore the social responsibility agenda of the major companies within Tiko. “This will in turn create a business friendly atmosphere for investments in Tiko and create revenue for the council,” he added.
Anu challenged the Council authorities to make their council area competitive, noting that the Council must become a partner to business people and not an enemy.
Gospel Nti, Gender and Community Action Officer at NADEV explained to participants that the term gender and issues around gender is not for women but for both sexes; male and female. She enjoined participants to discard notions and stereotypes which are detrimental to the empowerment of women. “Such concepts which are mostly propagated by greed, religion, culture and tradition deprive women from becoming entrepreneurs,” she said.
George Mofor, Development Consultant, on Gender and Entrepreneurship within Councils indicated that money was not the base of any business idea. “Money follows any good idea,” he said. He told the participants, especially the women that they can move from petty business operators to Entrepreneurs by initially crafting their ideas, move forward to get the necessary resources, get the product and look forward to profits. Mofor entreated the Tiko Council authorities to create an enabling atmosphere for business by organising a business forum whereby business people can table their problems and together they can fix them. “The Council should build business structures, make available sanitation facilities in the markets and consider tax exonerations on certain businesses so as to encourage business growth within the Tiko municipality,” he advised.
The Tiko Council staff and business operators present at the workshop expressed satisfaction to NADEV for the ideas raised, while looking forward to put them into reality.
Nkong Hill Top Association for Development, NADEV is a common initiative group whose intent is to improve on the socio-economic status of the rural and urban underprivileged and marginalised population especially women and youths .
