The Cameroon English Language Newspaper Publishers Association (CENPA) has honoured Mayor Chenwi Peter of Bamenda II Council with its 2026 Sustainable Development and Transformation Champion Award.
The recognition is for what CENPA describes as his “never-seen pragmatism and results-oriented leadership” at the helm of the Bamenda II Council, as well as his ability to lobby and establish partnerships aimed at addressing some of the municipality’s pressing development challenges.
Central to the recognition is the Bamenda Waste-to-Energy Project, an ambitious initiative being developed through partnerships involving the Bamenda II Council and international partners.
The project is designed to transform waste into energy and other useful products, providing an alternative to conventional waste disposal while creating economic opportunities. The initiative has been presented as potentially Cameroon’s first waste-treatment plant of its kind.
The project emerged from a series of international engagements by Mayor Chenwi, including working visits to Canada between 2022 and 2025. Those engagements helped lay the groundwork for cooperation with municipalities including Brampton and Aurora, as well as collaboration with Global Ventures of North America (GVNA).
In January 2026, the Bamenda II Council said the project had moved beyond the conceptual stage, with partners visiting Bamenda to finalise arrangements. The proposed facility is intended to address the municipality’s longstanding waste-management difficulties while turning waste into an economic resource.
The waste-to-energy initiative is expected to have implications beyond sanitation.
The proposed facility is expected to generate employment and produce recycled materials and other useful outputs. The mayor has also linked the project to the broader objective of creating opportunities for young people and improving public health and environmental conditions in Bamenda II.
For CENPA, the recognition of Mayor Chenwi highlights the role of local leadership in pursuing innovative approaches to sustainable development and in using public-private and international partnerships to supplement municipal resources.
The award also places emphasis on the Bamenda II Council's attempt to address sanitation, employment, environmental protection and infrastructure needs through a single development agenda.
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