By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, PAV – Cameroon’s Head of State, Paul Biya, reaffirmed his commitment to leading the Central African nation towards unity, stability and prosperity, while outlining key priorities for his new seven-year term following his re-election in October.
Speaking in his traditional New Year’s Message to the Nation on December 31, 2025, President Biya recalled the pledge he made during his recent swearing-in to continue working with the population to build a united and prosperous nation. He described this objective as a “sacred mission” to which he intends to devote all his energy, thanking voters for renewing their confidence in him during the October 12 presidential election, an election that opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma still disputes.
While acknowledging that Cameroon had successfully overcome many challenges during the past year and the previous seven-year term, President Biya warned that more demanding challenges lay ahead, expressing confidence that they could be surmounted through unity.
“If we remain united, nothing will be impossible for us. We lack neither courage, nor ingenuity, nor determination,” he said.
Reviewing developments in 2025, President Biya pointed to what he described as remarkable progress across several sectors despite internal and external constraints. Politically, he said Cameroon’s democratic system had once again demonstrated its vitality through the successful organisation of the presidential and regional elections, which he said confirmed that democracy had taken firm root in the country.
He praised the “maturity” shown by the majority of citizens in the aftermath of the presidential poll, despite tensions linked to what he termed irresponsible political behaviour, noting that national unity, peace and stability had been preserved.
On the security front, Biya, who turns 93 on February 13, commended the defence and security forces for their professionalism and continued efforts against terrorism and criminality threatening lives and property. He reiterated the government’s determination to safeguard peace, particularly in regions affected by insecurity, including the Far North, North West and South West Regions.
Economically, President Biya highlighted structural reforms carried out with the support of international partners, which he said had helped improve public finances and preserve macroeconomic stability. He noted an increase in investment budget allocations and measures taken to control inflation and boost local production amid a challenging global economic environment.
The President cited ongoing and newly launched development projects aimed at improving living standards, particularly in energy, water and transport. He pointed to increased electricity supply following the commissioning of the Nachtigal hydroelectric dam and several solar power plants, especially in Northern regions.
In a major policy signal, President Biya confirmed that he had instructed the takeover of electricity distributor ENEO, describing the move as a decisive step towards restoring energy sovereignty and reforming a strategic sector requiring heavy investment.
Road infrastructure was identified as another priority, with a special programme for rehabilitating degraded roads and constructing new ones set to be launched in the coming year to improve mobility and access to production zones.
President Biya said efforts would be stepped up to improve education and public health systems, accelerate digital development, strengthen industrial capacity, promote agro-food processing and enhance the business climate.
The Head of State also addressed social concerns, acknowledging that despite progress, more needed to be done urgently to improve living conditions. He announced that a new government to be formed in the coming days would prioritise this task.
Youth and women featured prominently in the address. President Biya said improving their situation would be central to his agenda, announcing that 50 billion FCFA had been earmarked in the 2026 state budget to finance youth-led projects under the Special Plan for the Promotion of Youth Employment.
“I would like to reiterate my call for unity in the best interest of our dear and beautiful country. I know that I can count on your unwavering support in this regard,” President Biya said/.
“I reiterate my determination to remain worthy of the trust you have placed in me. I want to reiterate to you this evening my confidence in the future of our country. I can assure you that the best is yet to come.”
