Bello Bouba Maigari
Bello Bouba Maigari | |
|---|---|
| President of the National Union for Democracy and Progress | |
| Assumed office 5 January 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Eboua |
| 6th Prime Minister of Cameroon | |
| In office 6 November 1982 – 22 August 1983 | |
| President | Paul Biya |
| Preceded by | Paul Biya |
| Succeeded by | Luc Ayang |
| Minister of State Minister of Tourism and Leisure | |
| In office 9 December 2011 – 1 July 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Philémon Yang Joseph Ngute |
| Preceded by | Baba Hamadou (Tourism) Nanfang Ousmane (Leisure) |
| Minister of Transport | |
| In office 22 January 1984 – 22 October 1988 | |
| Prime Minister | Luc Ayang |
| Preceded by | Moukoko Mbonjo |
| Succeeded by | Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| Assumed office 31 March 1992 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1947 (age 78–79) |
| Party | UNDP (since 1991) |
| Other political affiliations | CPDM (1985–1991) CNU (1966–1985) UPC (1960–1966) |
| Alma mater | University of Yaoundé University of Paris |
Bello Bouba Maigari (born 1947) is a Cameroonian politician who has been the President of the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) since 1992. He previously served as Minister of Tourism and Leisure in the government of Joseph Ngute from 2011 to 2025, the Minister of Transport from 1984 to 1988, and the sixth prime minister under President Paul Biya from 1982 to 1983.
Born in Bashéo, Maigari was educated in Yaoundé and France. He joined politics in the early 1960s joining the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UDC). In 1966, after President Ahmadou Ahidjo declared Cameroon a one-party state, Maigari joined the Cameroonian National Union (CNU) where he joined the government and served in both administrative and ministerial offices. After Ahidjo resigned as president in 1982, Maigari was appointed prime minister by the new President Paul Biya. Aged 35 when being appointed to the role, Maigari was the youngest holder of the office. He served in this role until 1983 where he was replaced by Luc Ayang.
In January 1984, Maigari was appointed Minister of Transport, serving in the role until October 1988. In the late 1980s, Maigari became a strong advocate for democratic reforms, good governance, and electoral transparency in Cameroon. In 1991, he left the CPDM and joined the newly formed National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) where he eventually became its president in January 1992. He subsequently became an opposition leader to President Biya, with his party winning 68 seats in the 1992 parliamentary election, the first multi-party elections, with Maigari himself winning a seat. He also ran in the 1992 presidential election but then lost to Biya.
However, in the early 2000s, he became more aligned with President Biya again and was appointed the Minister of Tourism and Leisure in December 2011. He served in this role for nearly 14 years where in June 2025, he started to cut tied with President Biya again. He officially resigned from the role the following month and officially declared his bid for the 2025 presidential election.