Preserving our heritage,
uniting our people,
building a brighter future for Nso.
When the sons and daughters of Nso unite in purpose, our land flourishes, our heritage lives on, and our future becomes unshakable. NSODA is the heartbeat of that unity.
The Association is a Non-Profit, Non-Political and Non-Religious umbrella Association of the Nso people with the main objectives to promote, strengthens, enhance, advance and preserve the rich culture of the Nso people. The use the various pillars of our culture to foster community development, the Association identify all the Antiquities and Historical Monuments of all the Fondoms and seek to collect and preserve them either in their natural habitat or in a museum. We also identify the various cultural groups of the area and try to preserve their Identity, traditional character and recommend their improvement.
Our language; lamnso, is the driver of our culture. Therefore, we encourage research and preservation of lamnso so as to protect its purity, literature and a wider use as a vehicle of Nso cultural heritage.
Similarly, we research and document the history of the Nso people, collect all historical and anthropological research documents of the nso people and preserve them in a public library available to all students for research.
Nso is a blend of many sub-fondoms and clans. Consequently, we encourage and support our Traditional Fondoms by assisting them to maintain their dignity and traditions and to settle all conflicts among them. Part of this engagement is to take suitable action to protect the traditional authorities from participating in activities which may either to ridicule their subjects or themselves.
We organize periodic cultural festivals in order to enhance and preserve our rich culture and collaborate with the local councils to construction, maintain and run cultural civic centers, museums and the preservation and improvement of traditional palaces.
Village Development Associations are the basic functional units of the association. Through them we encourage and promote the spirit of Self-reliance and Communal Action to advance our development efforts in order to improve the quality of life of our communities.
Membership is open to all Nso throughout the world, friends and well-wishers.
Thank you for visiting this website. We hope and wish you will learn more about the Nso (Banso people) and the Nso kingdom.
Shey Tadze Adamu Mbiydzela
NSODA is the Nso Cultural and Development Association created from the defunct Bui Improvement Union (BIU) that existed in the 1950s created by the Nso intellectual elite to ensure the development of Nso.
The BIU did not exist for long as it disappeared in the 1970s and was relayed by the Bui Students’ Union (BSU) which coordinated activities of Nso students in particular and Bui students in the then lone State University of Yaounde. BSU equally intervened in development and cultural endeavors in Nso land until the early 1990s. One of their missions which was achieved in 1992-1993 under the so-called “Parlement” was the overtaking of the Nso water scheme from SNEC and it’s handing over to the Nso Palace for ownership and custody.
In September 1993, Fon Sehm Mbinglo I rose to the Nso throne after the disappearance of Fon Ngah Bi’fon III (1983-1993). With a new vision that was embedded in development, Fon Sehm Mbinglo I summoned the Nso elite in the Palace for a constituent assembly meeting during which he instructed the assembly on the urgent need of forming a development association to oversee the development vision he had for Nso.
One of the urgent needs for the formation of an umbrella association was the protection of the seized water scheme, which equally needed to have a protective structure and legal existence.
These reasons and more constituted the foundation with which the Constituent assembly worked under the legal guidance of Barristers Gabriel Mbinglo Aloni and Sendze with a cream of Nso elite, especially from Bamenda and Douala in attendance.
At the close of the Constituent General Assembly, the NSO DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, NSODA, came into existence.
NSODA had its legal existence on November 27, 1993 with headquarters in Kumbo Nso.
DR MAIMO Anthony (Faay Bamfem) (late)
SHEY KONGYUF Sebastien (late)
SHEY BANMBUH Wilfred
MFORMI NDZEREM Stephen NJODZEKA
SHEY TADZE Adamu MBIYDZELA (On-going mandate)
The functioning of NSODA is guided by clearly written rules. Our amended and adopted constitution contain laws and guidelines that promote transparency in the running of all Nso community activities. The Constitution of Nso Cultural and Development Association (NSODA) can be downloaded here (in pdf).