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Chapter 7. Maritime Traffic and Road Network and Trade in the Ndian Mainland and the Bakassi Peninsula
- LANGAA RPCIG
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193 Chapter 7 Maritime Traffic and Road Network and Trade in the Ndian Mainland and the Bakassi Peninsula Transportation and mobility Transportation is either by road or by sea (maritime transport). Water and road transportation are an important economic sector in the area. Both people and goods are transported between villages along the Cameroonian coast, through the mangrove channels and to neighbouring countries, most specifically Nigeria. The road system in the Ndian Division area is among the poorest in Cameroon and not well developed. Roads are generally in a state of disrepair; only the road between Limbe and Idenau is tarred. As a result the main forms of transport are motorbikes and a few car taxis. Due to the poor quality of roads and the inaccessibility of certain villages by road, maritime transportation, which is very is critical because of very poor facilities, is the only alternative. Because of the poor road infrastructure, mobility of persons are limited only to the traders and people who are obliged to travel by one means or another. This renders over about sixty to seventy per cent – 60% to 70% of the local population helpless and is obliged to trek for long distances if they want to be mobile and most part of their daily activities like going to the farm, going to the market, to school, to church and visiting friends and relatives. It is very common to find people in the Ndian Division doing all these long distances with piles of loads of food items, personal effects and wares on their heads or on their backs. Women are the most encountered victims in this plight of poor road infrastructure and transportation facilities because they are virtually the bread winners and feeders of many households and homes in the region like it is common in most parts of Cameroon where women do most of the farm work for food crops for household feeding and petty trading in food crops all year round. 194 Road Transport The poor state of rural roads renders the transportation of people and products from regions of production to regions of transformation or of consumption difficult. Transport is undertaken by cars (bush taxi) or by motorbikes. Where access is not possible via road as with large parts of the exploration area, maritime transport is the alternative means of transport. Maritime Traffic There are several sea ports and creek ports in the Ndian Division prominent among which are Jabane, Atabong East (Diamond/Idabato II), Bekumu, Idenau, and Ekondo Titi. These ports and the international transport routes are illustrated on the Map. VI.1.2.3. The local transport routes are not illustrated on this map. These ports are poorly developed; they lack modern landing site facilities e.g. wharfs, jetties, storage facilities or electricity. Accidents are most common due to the absence of adequate landing facilities. Areas such as Sanje, Dibunda, Enyege and Njangossa have ports that are used as landing sites for canoes but are not used for other purposes. The presence of the sea in Bakassi which is directly exposed to the Atlantic ocean on one hand is a blessing and on the other a setback. It is considered a setback since the sea is the only access to localities like Bamusso, Bekumu, Njangassa, Enyenge, Idenau, Ekondo Titi or Akwa. The presence of the sea is advantageous to certain localities in the area due to their status as a local port of loading and unloading. The principal local maritime ports could be easily identified in areas, such as, Idenau, Bekumu, Bamusso, Ekondo Titi. Others are Sanje, Dibunda, Enyege, Njangasa, which are not considered as points of departure and of important destinations in terms of transport or maritime traffic, but as landing sites where canoes can call and anchor from time to time. The table below represents the main advantages and disadvantages of the five or six most important sea traffic facilities in the area. [34.230.66.177] Project MUSE (2024-03-19 10:06 GMT) 195 The main means of communication in the Bakassi region is by sea since there is no firm land linking the Peninsula. Transportation is by flying boats or dug-out canoes using engines of 75HP or 49HP. Five main maritime ports of the studied area are regularly used by boats from Cameroon to Nigeria: Bekumu, Ekondo Titi, Idabato II (Atabong East– Diamond), Jabane and Idenau as shown on the map below. Diamond (Atabong East/Idabato II) Diamond is the busiest port of...