Origins of the Canton
Located at the northern edge of Douala, Bakoko Wouri Canton — also known as Mittin N'zangwa Canton — consists of seven villages led by 3rd-degree traditional chiefs. Its eponymous ancestor, Ngahe, son of Pam and grandson of Mpoo, is said to have led part of the Bakoko clan from the sacred site of Ngog Lituba to the banks of the Wouri towards the end of the 16th century, during the great migration-dispersion of the sons of Mpoo.
A traditionally discreet people, devoted to the secrecy of their ancestral worship — that of the Bissima, water deities, and the Bilenba — some Bakoko lineages chose to settle further away, moving up the Wouri via the Mupè creek towards the Dibamba. It was thus that Poman, son of Tue, founded what would become Japoma ("Ya Poman", those of Poman) — today home to the Japoma multi-sports stadium, a flagship of Cameroonian sporting infrastructure. Fishermen and farmers since time immemorial, the people of the canton have seen their activities evolve alongside the region's socio-economic development, which also hosts the Dibamba leprosarium and a major hospital and energy hub.
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The Superior Chief
The Ngondo in Pictures
