NZO EKANGAKI: THE LUMINARY WHO ENVISIONED HIS VILLAGE (NGUTI) TO LOOK LIKE A TOWN IN GERMANY 

Nzo Ekangaki was born in March 22nd, 1934 in Nguti. He is an iconic figure in the Nguti community (Kupe Muanenguba), renowned for his altruism and development-oriented ideas.

He was an avant-gardist, who had a blueprint for his village to look like a town in West Germany, where he studied. Nzo Ekangaki served as the Secretary-General of the OAU from 1972 and held several positions in the G0vernment.

HIS VISION

BIGGEST AIRPORT IN CAMEROON

Nzo Ekangaki wanted Nguti to have the biggest airport in Cameroon. The land surface earmarked for the airport was to have a runway of 2500 m. The airport remains recognized internationally (FK26). His dream didn’t come true but the land was used as an airfield for helicopters that transported medicine, medical equipment and patients.

HEALTH CARE

In 1968, Nzo Ekangaki invited an international Catholic health organization St. John of God to establish a hospital in his village to provide holistic care to patients.

4 years later (1972) the hospital was saw the light of day. The hospital was specialized in traumat0logy and run an orth0pedic center.

St. John of God Hospital became the most popular hospital in English-speaking Cameroon, manned by medical specialists from Europe.

Patients came from far and wide because the hospital was one of its kind.

St John of God built several residential structures in Nguti notably quarters like St Mary.

WATER AND ELECTRICITY

Nzo Ekangaki imposed the social responsibility on St John of God Hospital to establish a water catchment area that will provide portable water to the community. Several public taps were installed in key places in Nguti by St John of God.

The timber company that operated in Nguti also had a social responsibility to provide a lister generator to power the entire Nguti. Although the electricity was rationed, his people were satisfied.

TOWN PLANNING

Nzo Ekangaki designed his village to accommodate orderly development. The streets are well-organized and interconnected.

In the early 90s, he influenced the government to contract with a Korean road construction company to tar Nguti. The company was based in Nguti and some streets were tarred. Nguti was the only village with tarred streets along the Kumba – Mamfe road.

INDUSTRY

As early as the 1970s, Nzo Ekangaki brought a timber exploitation and processing company in Nguti. The sawmill employed a multitude of indigenes.

EDUCATION

Nzo Ekangaki established the Afro Institute.

Entering Nguti, you will see one of the first storey buildings along the Kumba – Mamfe road. His idea was an ultramodern institute to provide quality education to the people of Nguti.

There was another institute for vocational, technical studies

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Nestled in Nguti center is Nzo Ekangaki’s building, a big structure that had a basket ball court. Everyone who was interested in practicing basketball was free to use the basket ball court.

TOWN HALL

Nzo Ekangaki’s structure has a wide hall that hosts community meetings and also used for events. It is called the “Miengge House”.

MUSIC

Nzo Ekangaki encouraged artists who hailed from Nguti, notably Dickson Nguti, Nancy Asopo , who authored the popular “Luncheon date” tune on CRTV.

Nzo Ekangaki d!ed in Yaoundé on the 3rd of June 2005 at age 71 and was buried in Nguti on the of 25th June 2005.

#nexdimempire