Urbanization and the Development of Informal Activities in the City of Bamenda and Environs, 1988-2010

Abstract

Urbanisation has been one of the greatest ingredients for the proliferation of informal activities in developing countries in general and Cameroon in particular. This has been catalysed by increase in population as individuals tussle for economic survival. This is true with the case of the city of Bamenda and environs where informal activities constituted the thrust of economic occupations between 1998 and 2010. With the advent of economic crisis in Cameroon in 1988 and ensuing economic hardship, migrants anticipating for myriad opportunities moved into the area. However, their desires were shattered when they would not find or catchup with their desired dreams. The resultant effect was the quest for informal activities that would provide for their livelihoods and better their standards of living. It is because of this that the study contends that, though the inception of the economic crisis in Cameroon and the budding educational establishments in Bamenda and environs facilitated population growth and urbanisation of the area as well as the proliferation of informal activities, increased crimewaves, unemployment, poor infrastructural development, poor living standards, high cost of transportation and administrative bottlenecks, inadequate finances and the unstable nature of students’ residencies were impedimental to the benefits that goes along with such developments and greatly worked against the advancement of the area.