On February 22, 2024, a devastating fire outbreak occurred at the Bamenda Main Market in the North-West Region of Cameroon. This incident has left dozens of shops completely burned to ashes. The market, which stands as one of the largest in the region, serves as the economic lifeline of the town.
Incident Details
Date and Time: The fire started around 6PM.
Cause: The cause of the fire is said to be a short circuit that occurred in a cosmetic shop.
Extent of Damage: Many traders have lost millions of FCFA in goods due to the fire.
Response: The response from the firefighting unit was slow with little help from firefighting units being deployed to the scene, but the intensity of the flames appeared uncontrollable.
North West Governor Speaks
‘We encourage the traders to remain hopeful and we are assuring that the government will come to their assistance. We are asking them to take conscious that they should implement security measures prescribed to them by the security services. We have already lost many
properties, we do noot want to lose human beings. I want to also appreciate the role of the firefighters and the entire pooopulation of the City oof Bamenda who helped to avoid the fire forom extending to other areas.’ Adolphe Lele L’Afrique said.
Journalist decries lack of conscience
Pedmia Shatu said she was devasted seeing people taking pictures and videos of the incident without offering help. ‘Even if it was a little bucket of sand, you could help the shop owners by quenching the fire…I saw people running to the place with their phones to take pictures and forward…We are not thinking anymore, we are just acting…it is disappointing, very very disappointing…,’ she lamented.
Emotional Impact
Traders are devastated, watching their investments from years of hard work go up in smoke. The Bamenda Main Market fire outbreak is a tragic event that has deeply affected the livelihoods of many. Urgent measures are needed to prevent such devastating incidents in the future. This comes barely weeks after parts of t
he food market were reduced to ashes.
Times are hard with the downward trend of the economy, it is a tough one for traders who have to muster courage to move forward.
Source: Kenya News Agency
Ghana will in March this year host the 12th Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) conference in Accra.
Scheduled from March 19th to 20th, with training workshops on the 18th and 21st of March, the conference founded by the Catholic Relief Service and a consortium of Experts in ICT would bring together a community of practitioners and learn from each other on how to apply rapidly evolving digital technologies to help accelerate the end of poverty, hunger, and preventable disease.
A statement signed by Mr E. Maaweh Tanga, a Communication Development Professional and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said ICT4D Conference was a dynamic multi-disciplinary gathering of some 600 inspiring leaders and thought-provoking speakers from public, private, and civil society organizations from across the humanitarian and international development community.
‘The global conference explores how Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) and data innovations are making a
measurable difference in millions of peoples’ lives and increasing the impact of humanitarian relief and development projects’.
He said the conference aims at advancing global knowledge exchange and building capacity on ICT4D and digital development to drive more impactful use of technology for good.
‘Highly interactive and hands-on, the conference attracts a diverse audience of technical advisors and senior executives from renowned global firms and organizations who are passionate about discussing innovative solutions to emerging global challenges’.
Mr Tanga said this year’s conference agenda would focus on three main themes. The ‘Digital to Tackle Wicked Problems’ theme which emphasizes the important role of digital and collaborative solutions in addressing socially complex, sometimes contradictory, and often changing problems.
‘This theme highlights essential topics such as Food security and agriculture; Climate change adaptation and mitigation; Digital health; Conflict, peacebuilding, social cohes
ion; Youth engagement and employment; Digital inclusion; and Digital Cash’.
He said the theme would also feature multiple sessions focused on innovations in using geospatial data for development and humanitarian outcomes, and how the most recent developments in AI and machine learning could be applied for social good.
‘ The third theme, ‘Local Leadership for a Digital Future’ will feature discussions that highlight opportunities and approaches to build responsible, sustainable, and locally owned digital foundations. Much of the focus will be on digital public goods and digital public infrastructure, as these are increasingly recognized as essential for societies to reap the benefits of digital transformation’.
The local partner, he said was the Ministry of Communication and Digitalization (MOCD) the official Government of Ghana partner for the 2024 ICT4D Conference.
‘ Marshalling a blend of local expertise from across the public service and specialized agencies and ministries, MOCD is coordinating the f
ull participation of Ghana’s public sector actors to both enrich the conference and highlight its local leadership theme. The MOCD is a key partner in the local organizing committee of the conference’.
He said as the Ministry charged with leading Ghana’s digital transformation and digitalization of public services, the MOCD was strategically positioned to coordinate with CRS and their partners to deliver a colourful and exciting event this year.
‘The ministry is expected to share Ghana’s record of blazing the trail in successfully rolling out policy initiatives that have significantly impacted several sectors of the economy, like the introduction of Mobile Money interoperability, the first of its kind on the African continent at the time’.
The event was first held in Ghana in 2013. Since then, it has taken a tour of the world and introduced a virtual session in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the statement, Nora Lindström, a Senior ICT4D Director at Catholic Relief Services (CRS) said, ‘Ea
ch year I am amazed by the incredible examples of how the responsible and effective use of tech and data enable us to increase our impact at scale. I am particularly excited about the upcoming Conference as it will bring together the global ICT4D community in person after a long time.’
Source: Ghana News Agency