Slums are an ongoing and dominant feature of Cameroon’s urban centres. More than half of Cameroonians now live in towns and cities (53% or around 13 million of Cameroon’s estimated 23 million)2 and an estimated 60% of those are living in informal settlements and slums3. With an urban growth rate of around 5%4 , the challenge of managing and preventing slums is critical.
The aim of this impact story is to explore how Cameroon is using its national leadership and participation in UN-Habitat’s Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP), to prepare for city-wide slum upgrading. In particular, the National Housing and Urban Development Ministry is garnering support for a re-newed focus on improving the lives of slum dwellers. The country is at the implementation phase of PSUP in three project cities (Yaoundé, Bamenda and Kribi). These initiatives provide key lessons and inspiration for others to engage in city-wide slum upgrading.