From Roadworks to Vision: How Yaoundé Is Rethinking Mobility

Since joining the MobiliseYourCity Partnership, the city of Yaoundé has taken decisive steps toward rethinking its urban mobility. The development of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), closely aligned with the National Urban Mobility Policy (NUMP), marked a strategic shift: mobility is no longer conceived solely in terms of road infrastructure, but as a lever for social inclusion, ecological transition, and comprehensive urban transformation.

Structural Progress Toward Integrated Mobility

Concrete actions stemming from the SUMP began as early as 2020, notably through the Yaoundé Cœur de Ville, MoVe Yaoundé (Green Mobility Yaoundé) projects, and the initial stages of developing the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. Training sessions under the MoVe Yaoundé initiative also helped raise awareness and build local capacity.

A major breakthrough was the creation of a multisectoral urban platform—bringing together the State, local authorities, and civil society—facilitated by Expertise France. This platform encourages collaboration between public and private stakeholders around a shared vision of mobility. This expanded governance enables the emergence of integrated projects, engaging actors who were previously less involved, such as the police or the Ministry of Social Affairs, in locally new themes such as gender, active mobility, inclusion, and paratransit.

Persistent Challenges, Especially in Governance and Capacity

Despite these notable advances, several challenges remain to ensure the effective implementation of the established plans. A key issue is the need to strengthen human and institutional capacities: local teams face increasingly complex projects, requiring tailored support in terms of training, project management, and organizational structure.

Establishing a fully operational Mobility Organizing Authority (MOA) is a top priority to ensure continuity and follow-up of the initiated projects. While progress has been made, its realization demands stronger alignment among stakeholders and better integration of existing tools.

Finally, financial resources and the availability of up-to-date data are critical for long-term success. Support in mobilizing funding and establishing a mobility observatory would help sustain momentum and enable evidence-based management.

Toward a New Phase: Identified Priorities

To go further, Yaoundé has identified several key priorities:

• Update the SUMP to better integrate active mobility;

• Restructure the MOA with genuine technical support;

• Set up an urban mobility observatory for better policy guidance;

• And above all, reinforce human capacities within local administrations.

A Model of Coordination and Multilevel Engagement

Today, Yaoundé stands as an inspiring example within the MobiliseYourCity Partnership, largely thanks to the convergence of local and national dynamics. The simultaneous development of the National Urban Mobility Plan (NUMP) and the city-level SUMP has provided Yaoundé with a clear, coherent, and action-oriented strategic framework. This dual-level planning has helped align priorities and strengthened the legitimacy of interventions.

This success also stems from the commitment of a wide range of actors—from the State, local governments, civil society, and technical partners—who have come together around a shared vision. The MobiliseYourCity Partnership contributed to this momentum by providing a framework that promotes dialogue, coordination, and mutual learning, thereby enabling more structured and coherent action.

Finally, the city's strong political will to sustainably transform urban mobility has been a decisive factor. It demonstrates that when planning tools are well-designed and stakeholders are mobilized, tangible progress is possible, even in complex contexts.