Diaspora Activist Maitre Nikonf Empowers War Victims Through Skills Training in Nigeria
The Hague, Netherlands – July 2025 | BaretaNews Desk
As the Ambazonia–Cameroun conflict rages into its eighth year, bringing untold hardship to millions across Southern Cameroons, one long-time foot soldier of the liberation movement is quietly changing lives—not through the gun, but through empowerment.
Maitre Nikonf, popularly known in activist circles as Konfor Ngebe Ignatius, has been a committed figure in the Ambazonian struggle since the maiden All Anglophone Conference (AAC1) in Buea on April 2-3, 1993. Originally from Njap village near Nkambe, he has been living in The Hague, Netherlands, for over two decades, where his home has become a hub for Ambazonian diplomacy and solidarity.
From providing safe lodging to senior leaders of the liberation movement during diplomatic missions in Europe, to co-founding the Diaspora Ambazonia Community Organisation Platform active in Nigeria, Maitre Nikonf has consistently walked the talk.
Now, his work has taken a deeply humanitarian turn.
For the past seven years, Maitre Nikonf has used his personal income—not donor funds—to assist Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees affected by the brutal war imposed on Southern Cameroonians by the Yaoundé regime. His latest initiative is a partnership with the Jah-Wooh Foundation, a grassroots project training young women, girls, and mothers—many of them war victims—in sewing and fashion design.
“These young women are victims of war—some widowed, some displaced, all broken. But through this initiative, they’re now creating, designing, and earning a living. Some have graduated and are now supporting their families with dignity,” Maitre Nikonf told BaretaNews.
Photos shared with BaretaNews show rows of determined women seated behind sewing machines, surrounded by their creations—dresses, school uniforms, and cultural attire. The vision is clear: rebuild lives by rebuilding skills.
While Maitre Nikonf does not run a formal NGO, his efforts exemplify grassroots action at its finest. “I do this from my own income. I pray that others—especially Ambazonians in the diaspora—join in. Our people need us,” he said.
Donations to support the Jah-Wooh Foundation’s ongoing work can be made using details on the official brochure, available upon request.
As the liberation struggle continues on all fronts—diplomatic, military, and humanitarian—it is clear that activists like Maitre Nikonf are ensuring that resilience grows even in exile. The revolution, after all, is not only about the dream of a free Ambazonia but also about restoring the dignity of its people, one life at a time.
For BaretaNews, this is the voice of the people.
