Bafia

Bafia is a Cameroonian town and community in the Central Province region. It is the capital of the Mbam-et-Inoubou department. It lies 120 km (75 mi) north of Yaoundé. Bafia has approximately 55,700 inhabitants, making it the third largest city in the province after Yaoundé and Mbalmayo. Most citizens in this area belong to either the Bafia people or the Yambassa people.

History has it that when the Germans were in colonial power; they were once crossing through the Mbam region but they stopped on the high plateau of the region which is today called Bafia to ask a native who was returning from hunting what the name of the area was. Assuming that the guests were asking his name, the hunter answered, "Ufino yame yo lomo Bofia Nkano" ("Meaning, my name is Bofia Nkano"). This explains the origin of the name "Bafia".

The office of the Bafia mayor was created in 1960. The former department of Mbam was the actual department of Bam-et–Inoubou and Mbam-et-Kim. Since 1992 Bafia has been the department of Mbam-et-Inoubou. Bafia also has a Sub - Préfecture to administer the district of Bafia, a community that includes the territorial spring of this community. All the central administration of the county is handled in the town by departmental and district delegates.

The highest court of the district is located in Bafia. There is one prison and a police force. There are also offices for the public notary, bailiffs of justice, and lawyers in the Bafia town center.

The town of Bafia has a standard school, a teachers school of education (ENIEG), one classic high school, one technical high school, a college of technical industrial education and commerce (cetic of Kiki), a bilingual high school, and three colleges for secondary or second cycle education.

The district hospital of Bafia is the main medical structure of the town. It has many specialties such as general medicine, surgery, gynecology, odonto-stomatology, pediatrics, etc.).

The Bafia football club has its own stadium called the Ayem stadium. Its name comes from the name of a mayor who was a passionate football fan. He as a result took the initiative to build a stadium for Bafia club but open for use by nearby teams as well. Bafia club had had many triumphs in the national first division with its star player, Mouthe Philippe, followed by the genius Bougoli in 1970.

The town boasts of 4 fuel stations for residents, Commercial motor cycles for areas which tend to be inaccessible to cars. The main roads of the town are paved. There is no urban lighting system but there is a post office to cater for all postal services. Mobile and landline telephone operators are also active. Banking services are made available by microfinance and money transfer establishments.

The town also has two bakeries as well as shops and markets, bars and taverns. Several restaurants operate in the town and offer a variety of dishes dominated by local dishes like kepen, kibazi, kidjane, bitooso etc. A two-star hotel with a nightclub (discothèque) and several others of such establishments though smaller provide visitor accommodation.

Bafia is accessible by road. Approaching from Yaoundé, many road transport companies provide services using the 121 km long Bafia road from the bus station of Tongolo (in the north of Yaoundé). Coming from Douala, one can either pass through Yaoundé (360 km), or through Bafang and Bangangté or Bafang and Bafoussam (about 390 km in each case). The Biamo airfield, very active during the first fifteen years after independence, but its no longer able to receive monomotors (mono-engines), twin-engined planes or helicopters due to urbanisation.

Bafia City Hall

Location on the Map