On July 2, 2026, the Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS) formalised a new partnership with the Chamber of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Forests of Cameroon (CAPEF) and the Binguela Practical School of Agriculture (EPAB). The stated goal is clear: to train each year a thousand socially vulnerable people in agricultural occupations and entrepreneurship, thereby strengthening their socio‑economic inclusion.
The three‑institution alliance brings together actors with complementary expertise. MINAS, responsible for social protection, provides the legal framework and funding for insertion programmes. CAPEF, a professional body that groups farmers, fishers, livestock keepers and foresters, ensures access to production networks and technical expertise. EPAB, a school renowned for its hands‑on agricultural training, delivers the pedagogical component and transmits modern farming know‑how.
The scheme targets groups deemed vulnerable: unqualified youth, women in precarious situations, former informal workers and families hit by economic crises. Training is built around two pillars: first, the acquisition of technical skills (crop cultivation, livestock, fisheries, agro‑processing); second, the development of an entrepreneurial mindset (business‑plan drafting, financial management, market access). Each cohort of a thousand participants receives personalised support, practical workshops and on‑site internships.
Agriculture remains the backbone of Cameroon’s economy, employing a large share of the workforce and providing a vital source of food security. By giving vulnerable people the keys to a productive activity, the programme tackles two major challenges: reducing structural unemployment and diversifying household incomes. Successful insertion into the agricultural sector can also curb rural‑to‑urban migration and bolster the resilience of local communities.
The expected outcomes are multiple. On an individual level, beneficiaries acquire immediately applicable skills, increasing their chances of finding employment or launching a small enterprise. Collectively, the programme should energise local agricultural value chains, stimulate micro‑enterprise creation and foster shorter supply chains. Strengthening the rural economic fabric also contributes to social stability by offering viable alternatives to often precarious informal activities.
However, the project's success will hinge on the partners' ability to ensure rigorous monitoring and to mobilise complementary resources. Challenges include the availability of training plots, access to quality agricultural inputs, and linking new entrepreneurs to regional markets. MINAS has indicated that financing mechanisms will be put in place to support graduates when they launch their activities, but the sustainability of these aids remains to be confirmed.
Looking ahead, this partnership could become a replicable model in other regions of Cameroon, and even across Francophone Africa. If early results meet the stated objectives, authorities plan to expand the number of beneficiaries and to incorporate new sectors such as agro‑ecology and digital technologies applied to agriculture. The challenge now is to turn these commitments into concrete realities so that each thousand trained individuals truly finds a place in the country's economic fabric.
