By Lendzemo Lakelle, #AFFCameroon Cohort 7 fellow.
Introduction
The North West region has five teams in the country’s professional football league. It has two ‘elite one teams’, two ‘elite two teams’ and a ‘female elite team’. Even with this number, the North West region has no stadium of FIFA international standard or in other words, a befitting stadium. In 2017, Tombi Sidiki, President of FECAFOOT, launched a project to renovate the Bamenda Municipal Stadium after Cameroon won the Nations cup, but it has never been completed. Since the abandonment of the Stadium, elite teams home matches have been held at Yong Sports Academy playground and the Bamenda university stadium.
From October 2016 the Northwest region has been plagued with the anglophone conflict. Part of the population maintains that the construction of a stadium will act as a catalyst to promote peace, as sports is a unifying factor in Cameroon.
https://www.facebook.com/100014914364704/posts/pfbi
d02fcFdFQdeVi4K78Qf68Qqu2PDqbEgzNAeVEiLDfuXCyCSGyRNcE2FP1zvUPzUtQYEl/?app=fbl
Body
Sports lovers and residents of the Northwest region have been calling on the authorities to construct a stadium. They have used social media as a tool in their advocacy as seen in 2020, when sports ventures posted a picture of a famous sports journalist, Kouamo Arnaud, holding a placard with the message “we need a stadium in Bamenda”. https://www.facebook.com/111005797394485/posts/pfb
id0bg17UswLSN8VafYUTEhqhk5y3FgCmgwkjYNKG3Ra7f8orPodojrxJ3Ewyrs9xhdUl/?app=fbl
Similarly on 6th December 2021, Kosi Foot Talk, in a Facebook post reminded the successor of FECAFOOT that the Bamenda municipal stadium was abandoned. https://www.facebook.com/105854551546277/posts/p
fbid0nZ31J4k4JN4Xo5TwL2d8wce7fvvYwLc4jGfghPiZmPbqKqcirASPm1rbdF7W6duRl/?app=fbl
Mimi Mefo also shared a post on social media platforms, talking about the Northwest region being neglected despite its massive contribution to the growth of football in Cameroon. https://mimimefoinfos.com/despite-huge-contribution-to-growth-of-football-north-west-remains-most-neglected-region/
A chant dubbed “we need a stadium in Bamenda ” went viral when PWD of Bamenda was locking horns with Astres of Douala for the 2021 Cup of Cameroon. Football lovers from all parts of the North West region, who went to support PWD Bamenda Football club in Yaounde during the cup of Cameroon, called on FECAFOOT President, Samuel Eto’o, who was voted into office on 11th December 2021, to provide a stadium for the Northwest region. 
A few days after the 2021 cup of Cameroon, it was announced that the sum of 460 million FCFA was availed by administrative authorities of Cameroon for work to resume at the Bamenda municipal stadium.
Samuel Eto’o made it known on August 4th 2022 that funds for the construction of 2 stadiums in Cameroon are available, disclosing that one of the stadiums will be constructed in the North west region.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2433159503570642/permalink/3160280897525162/?app=fbl
An announcement made on the 29th of September 2022, by the regional President of FECAFOOT, Mbigha Felix, indicated that the construction of the Bamenda proximity stadium would begin on 5th October 2022, with a deadline of 31st December 2022. https://www.facebook.com/652585094854545/posts/
pfbid0YZPMj5C8VsSz6QCuma3TypD6MdrVzyceWvrweNt66NAVHj78HaqdjFPkFqcgjgH5l/?app=fbl
Conclusion
The Northwest region has waited for years without a befitting sporting facility, many lost hope of ever seeing a stadium in the region but the rise of the Public works department social football club at the 2021 Cameroon cup gave hope to the people of the North west region of Cameroon to continue advocating for one. With the amplification of their voices on social media, they were heard.
Sports have a unique way of bringing together people from different backgrounds, thus fostering peace among communities. More peace tournaments should be organized in the North West region.
