The Ministry of Sports and Physical education has signed an accord with the Mutual Council Support fund, FEICOM, geared towards promoting the practice of sport and physical activities through the financing of sports projects and acquisition of sports equipment.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Minister Adoum Garoua said the programme for the development of sports infrastructure has to be accelerated given that Cameroon will host the Africa Cup of Nations in the feminine and masculine categories in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

He said councils are strategic partners in the ongoing decentralisation process in Cameroon which has seen his ministry transfer the management of ‘Parcours Vita’ to some councils. He said due to the meagre resources, the State cannot singlehandedly finance PNDS, hence the need for public-parapublic and public –private partnership.

The General Manager of FEICOM, Philippe Camille Akoa recognised the role of FEICOM in transferring competences to councils, promising that his institution will provide expertise to councils on how to mount projects within the framework of the decentralisation process. He promised to work in collaboration with MINSEP.

The accord is a fall-out from the general forum on sports which recommended the public-para-public-private partnership in the construction and management of sports infrastructure. The present accord is going to last three year and renewable.