Bamenda Grassfields Communities in Bamumland, 1972 - 2021: Land Acquisition, Conflicts, Agricultural Development and Challenges
Abstract
This study examines the contributions of Bamenda Grassfields communities to the agricultural development of the Bamumland from 1972 to 2021. The outbreak of the Anglophone Crisis witnessed an unprecedented increase in the population of Bamum from the North West Region of Cameroon. To provide proper context for the study, the study begins with the geo-historical background, the reasons for the migration of Bamenda Grassfields communities to the Bamum kingdom, their agricultural activities, as well as the strategies put in place to improve the quality and quantity of the products. The study argues that, these communities introduced new crops like huckleberry, Okru, waterleaf, and Igbo cocoyam cultivation. They provided high yielding seeds through the Integrated Agricultural Association (IAA), and introduced livestock rearing like pig farming, organised workshops and provided beehives through Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) to bee farmers in the Bamumland. The study made use of historical methods of data collection and analysis, and unveils that the greatest challenges faced by Bamenda Grassfields communities in agriculture were land conflicts and multiply and illegal sell of farmlands by the Bamums to the population. The study concludes that the Bamenda Grassfields communities contributed immensely in agriculture, which has influenced the socio-economic development of the Bamumland.
References
2. Achu, Emmanuela & Lee Davi (2020). “Factors Influencing the Technical Efficiency of Small Scale Farmers in the Foumbot and Foumban Sub-divisions in Cameroon.” Journal of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences 32, 205-215.
3. Bongajum, N. S & Suinyuy N. D. (2015). “Epitomizing the Socio-Economic Impacts of Urban Agriculture in Bamenda.” International Journal of African and Asian Studies15,10-19.
4. Bongfen, Chem Langhee (2004). ‟The Origin of the last Nso-Mum War of the 1880s.” Journal of the Cameroon Academic of Science 4, (2): 172-179.
5. Fanso, V.G. (2017). Cameroon History For secondary Schools and Colleges. Kumbo: Teamwork Press.
6. Foje, Emmaculate (2020). “Tomatoes Cultivation in Foumbot Sub-division and its Socio-economic Impacts on the Foumbot Development, 1985-2005.” DIPES I Long Essay in History, The University of Bamenda.
7. Fon, Engwali Dorothy et al. (2020). “The Impact of Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Farmers Production Cost in the Noun Division, West Region of Cameroon.” International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research 8 (3): 48-54.
8. Fonjoh, Shey Ivo (2022). “The Nso Community in Foumban: Implantation and Influence, 1888-2022.” M.A Dissertation in History, University of Bamenda.
9. Fomine, Mathew (2009). ‟A Concise Historical Survey of the Bamoun Dynasty and the Influence of Islam in Foumban, Cameroon, 1390 – Present.” Journal of The African Anthropologist 16 (1): 69-92.
10. Johnston F. Bruce and Mellor W. John (1961). “The Role of Agriculture in Economic Development.” Journal of American Economic Review 51, 165-179.
11. Ndam, Bachirou (2005). Le Noun D’Aujourd’hui et Demain. Entre Tradition et Modernite, a la Recontre d’un Autre Destin Essai de Monographyphie. Duala: Ulrich.
12. Neba, A.S. (1987) Modern Geography of the Republic of Cameroon. London: Neba Publisher.
13. Nih, Adeline (2019). “Agriculture in the Socio-Economic Development of Mmen 1982-2016.” B.A Dissertation in History, University of Bamenda.
14. Mama, Mostapha & Ismaila Datidjo (2021). “Artistic Production in the Bamum Kingdom: An Economically Oriented Ideological Hybridization.” International Journal of Social Relevance and Concern 9, 56-64.
15. Mougnol, M. Gabrielle (2013). ‟From Conviviality to the Emergence of Conflicts Between the Aborigines and Allogenes of Massangam in Cameroon (A Historical Analysis).” International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Science 3: 270-298.
16. Poumogne, V. & Randall B. (2010). “Impacts of Aquaculture Development Projects in Western Cameroon.” Journal of Applied Aquaculture 22 (2): 93-108.
17. Pangmashi, Randolf (2017). “Agricultural Activities and Its Impact on the Environment: Case Study Ndop Ngoketunjia Division North West Province.” DIPES II Dissertation in Geography, The University of Bamenda.
18. Suh C. et al. (2005). “Tomatoe Production in Foumbot (Cameroon) in Relation to Frequency and Dosage Fungicide Application.” Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences 5(2): 124-128.
19. UNDP (2023). “African Human Development Report 2012: Towards a Food Secure Future,” http:/www.undp.org/Uganda/Publication/Africa-human-development-report, accessed 21 February.
20. Vabet, Kingsly (2016). “Agriculture in the Development of Bali-kumbat,1961-2008: A Historical Analysis.” DIPES II Dissertation in History, University of Bamenda.
21. Victor, J.N. (2019). Cameroon 1884-Present (2018) The History of a People. Limbe: Presprint.
22. Wirsiy, Emmanuel (2023). “Cameroon Gender and Environmental Watch.” Accessed 21 January. https://cm.linkedin.com/in/wirsiy emmauel-binyuy-41712b8a.
Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.