SBEC Policy Brief

Download full Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report examines how infrastructure development serves as a critical catalyst for boosting the performance and competitiveness of Cameroon’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Despite their significant contribution to employment and economic growth, Cameroonian SMEs face substantial challenges due to inadequate infrastructure, including unreliable power supply, poor transportation networks, limited Information Communication Technology access, and insufficient social infrastructure. These deficiencies result in high operational costs, reduced productivity, limited market reach, and constrained innovation capacity. Our analysis reveals that strategic infrastructure development can transform SMEs performance by reducing production costs, improving market access, enhancing productivity, [...]

By Laurent Brice Nsengue, Larissa Ntoubia Introduction According to World Bank figures, about 78% of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas and rely largely on agriculture. In terms of creating jobs, generating revenue, and retaining residents, the growth of entrepreneurship in rural regions offers a promising niche in the battle against poverty. Particular focus should be paid to rural entrepreneurship. Multi-level governance has given rise to a vast body of economic theory and empirical studies, where the benefits of decentralization were highlighted by the “first generation” economic theories of fiscal federalism, which emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. Additionally, the [...]

Economic empowerment of women in Cameroon remains an urgent challenge, despite women’s crucial role in the nation’s economy, particularly within the agricultural sector. While women make up over 70% of the agricultural workforce, their participation in the broader economy is often marginalized(Lucky 2024). Women are typically excluded from key economic decisions, and their access to resources such as education, healthcare, and finance is limited. These limitations severely hinder their ability to reach their full potential as economic actors. Expected economic empowerment levels for women suggest that with appropriate resources and support, women could contribute more effectively to the national [...]

Par Brice Nsengue, Dr. Fabrice Nzepang Télécharger la note d'orientation de politique Introduction L’inclusion financière est devenue une priorité des politiques publiques de par le monde, et son importance de plus en plus réaffirmé dans les agendas aux niveaux international et national. L’attention plus grande qui lui est accordée témoigne de la perception croissante de son incidence sur l’amélioration de l’environnement entrepreneuriale et donc sur la performance des petites et moyennes entreprises (PME). Rappelons que la définition de PME retenue dans cette étude est celle de la loi N ° 2015/010 du 16 juillet 2015, modifiant, et complétant certaines [...]

Introduction Social protection programmes in Cameroon have long been designed as safety nets, but they often fail to address the structural inequalities that make women and youth economically dependent. The conventional approach, characterised by fragmented cash transfers, sporadic subsidies and underfunded vocational training fails to break the cycle of poverty. Rather, it promotes a culture of dependence rather than empowerment. While these programmes aim to provide financial relief, they do not create sustainable opportunities for advancement, ( Perera et al., 2022). The lack of long-term strategies to address systemic barriers such; as access to capital, market entry barriers and workplace [...]

Introduction Urban Cameroon stands at a critical juncture where mounting waste management challenges converge with youth unemployment and environmental degradation. With urbanization rates exceeding 3.5% annually and municipal waste generation approaching 1.2 million tons per year across major cities, conventional linear economic models have proven inadequate (Assoua & Molua, 2018). Only 20% of urban waste is formally collected, and less than 8% is recycled or repurposed, leaving a massive untapped resource stream and contributing to environmental pollution that costs an estimated 3.5% of GDP annually in health impacts and environmental remediation (Tamasang et al., 2021). Concurrently, urban youth unemployment [...]

ghjkkkWritten by: Dr Jean Cedric Kouam, Dr Bin Meh, Laurent Brice Nsengue, Meh Desmond Kum and Isidore Njinju Asongalem Download full report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Women's entrepreneurship holds transformative potential in Cameroon, driving economic growth, reducing inequality, and fostering sustainable development. Despite ranking as the third-leading African country for women-led enterprises, systemic barriers impede women's full economic participation. Female entrepreneurs constitute 24% of Africa's entrepreneurial population and contribute 7-9% of the continent's GDP ($150-200 billion annually). In Cameroon, women dominate the industrial (57.8%) and commerce (53.4%) sectors and make up 51.4% of the informal sector workforce, showcasing resilience and economic activity. However, [...]