Southern Cameroons Crisis: Dion Ngute pushes for safer school return ⁰

Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute has called for stronger security around schools in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions, where several incidents have marked the start of the academic year and 223,749 children remain completely out of school.

Dion Ngute chaired a meeting on September 17, 2026, to assess security conditions and the resumption of classes in the two Anglophone regions.

In the North-West, Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique said the security situation was generally under control, with security forces deployed around schools, according to a report on the meeting published by Cameroon Tribune. Several incidents have nevertheless occurred since classes resumed.

In Wum, a police commissioner was killed on September 8 during an attack on the Government Teachers’ Training College. Five teaching staff members were abducted and later freed following an operation by security forces. Other incidents were reported in Bamenda, Bui and Benakuma.

About 53,000 primary school pupils and 26,000 secondary school students had been registered in the North-West. Donga-Mantung and Mezam recorded attendance rates above 60%. The governor also cited teacher shortages and the circulation of vehicles without traceable license plates among the challenges authorities face.

About 300 of 400 Schools Operating in the South-West

In the South-West, Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai said about 68,000 students had returned to public and private schools by September 15. Around 300 of the region’s 400 schools were operational. Dion Ngute instructed administrative authorities to continue efforts to bring children back to school and ensure that teachers and other public employees report to their posts.

He also called for traditional leaders, local elected officials, religious leaders and civil society organizations to take part in the effort.

More Than 2,400 Schools Remain Closed

The figures on students who have returned to class only tell part of the story. The Anglophone crisis continues to keep a large number of schools closed and hundreds of thousands of children out of the education system.

In an article published on September 11, 2026, UNICEF, citing regional basic education authorities, reported that 2,463 schools remained non-operational across the North-West and South-West.

The North-West accounted for 2,005 of those schools, while 458 were in the South-West. UNICEF also reported that 223,749 children were completely out of school across the two regions.

Source: Sbbc