World Report

With a modern infrastructure and a diversified economy, Cameroon is now one of the most advanced nations in sub-Saharan Africa

Her Majesty the Queen with President Paul Byia on a roayl visit to Cameroon

ilingual Cameroon, situated in the Gulf of Guinea on Africa’s West coast, emerged in its modern day form in the 1961 when a part of former British Cameroon voted to join former French Cameroon. After more than four decades of political stability and economic growth, Cameroon today boasts one of the highest literacy rates on the African continent, as well as a modern infrastructure and one of the most diversified economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Cameroon is also the dominant country in CEMAC, the six nation Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States, which represents a market of 27 million people. Given its access to the sea and its sizeable potential market, as well as ongoing improvements in regional transport links, increased liberalisation and the growth of new sectors in the economy, Cameroon is poised to become a regional economic hub and is a solid investment choice for foreign companies.

Bordered by Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon is a mixture of desert plains in the north, mountains in the central regions and tropical rainforest in the south and east. The country’s 250 ethnic groups are comprised of five loose regional-cultural groups spread throughout Cameroon’s ten provinces: the western highlanders, coastal and southern tropical forest peoples, predominantly Islamic peoples of the northern semi-arid regions and central highlands, and non-Islamic or recently Islamic peoples of the northern desert and central highlands. English is spoken in the South West and North West provinces, while French is widely used in the eight northern provinces. Cameroon has been blessed with fertile soils and enjoys a wealth of natural resources, including agriculture, forests, and hydrocarbons. Consequently, the economy is dependent on commodity exports, and the recent global increase in the price of cocoa and petroleum has contributed favourably to the country’s economic growth, which has been hovering between four percent and 5 percent since 1996. This steady growth has had a favourable effect on the quality of life for Cameroonians.

“Cameroon is witnessing solid economic growth, and this has impacted our social services,” says Minister of Communication Jacques Fame Ndongo. “We enjoy a perceptible social stability now due to investment and development in universal healthcare and primary education, and our improved transport infrastructure.”

Since 1990, President Biya’s government has been employing structural reforms in collaboration with the IMF and the World Bank designed to improve macro-economic stability, liberalise the economy and spur investment. In 2000, Cameroon was also granted a $2 billion (£1.1 billion) debt relief package under the World Bank’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative. Results in the economy have been encouraging – growth is steady, inflation is under control, and new sectors have begun to flourish. Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge comments, “The positive performance of the Cameroonian economy has been in large part due to the creation of a stable macroeconomic environment and a much healthier management of public finances.” Looking ahead, the Prime Minister says that the governmenthas five priorities: continued restructuring of fiscal spending, the implementation of good governance policies, the creation of a favourable framework for private sector growth, expansion of non-petroleum export sectors, and poverty reduction.

Decades of political stability and growth ensure solid fundamentals

Amadou Ali
Minister of Justice

‘The reform of the judicial system aims to merge our different heritages’

Fostering good governance and increasing transparency is dependant upon Cameroon’s judicial system, which has also been the subject of ongoing structural reform. According to Minister of Justice Amadou Ali, the UK has been instrumental in providing assistance with this judiciary reform. He adds, “The reform of the judicial system is aimed at merging our Francophone and Anglophone heritage. As far as the fight against corruption is concerned, we have imposed a collegial structure at the level of the Court of Appeal so three judges are reviewing cases, instead of one.” The strengthening of the judicial system and the increase of transparency in Cameroon will also contribute to President Biya’s objective of ensuring free and fair presidential elections this year. In further support of this aim, the elections will be supervised by the National Elections Observatory, an autonomous body created in 2000 to oversee all aspects of the electoral process, aided by the donation of transparent ballot boxes from the UK Government.