Yaoundé: The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) officially launched its 2025 Country Report on Cameroon in Yaoundé. The launch ceremony featured discussions on the country’s economic challenges.
According to African Press Organization, the country reports form part of the African Development Bank’s African Economic Outlook 2025, which provides an annual assessment of the economic performance and outlook of the continent’s 54 countries by examining growth trends, socio-economic challenges, and development progress. The 2025 AEO report was released last May during the Bank Group’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, under the theme “Maximizing Africa’s Capital for Sustainable Development.”
The report titled “Making Cameroon’s Capital Work Better for its Development” highlights the need for the country to strengthen domestic resource mobilization to boost inclusive growth. It calls on various sectors such as the government, private sector, and financial partners to collectively drive the country’s structural transformation. The report also stresses the importance of strengthening governance, transparency, and the rule of law through greater accountability and the publication of the financial statements of public corporations.
The report suggests adopting the National Integrated Financing Strategy (SNFI) to diversify funding sources and leverage carbon market opportunities. It also emphasizes consolidating the financial sector, processing commodities locally, and developing regional infrastructure as priorities. Furthermore, it calls for preserving macroeconomic balances by gradually reducing fuel price subsidies while supporting investment spending and prioritizing concessional financing.
Ameth Saloum Ndiaye and Godwill Kan Tange, economists for the African Development Bank, presented the report’s main findings, highlighting proposals to optimize the use of budgetary resources and stimulate inclusive and sustainable growth. They also explored key issues such as public corporation reform, governance, debt management, and the challenges of mobilizing innovative financing.
Mamadou Tangara, Head of Operations, praised the Cameroonian authorities for their commitment to implementing a National Integrated Financing Strategy and diversifying financing sources for development. Jean Tchoffo, Secretary General of Cameroon’s Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, welcomed the Bank’s recommendations, stating they are aligned with the National Development Strategy 2030 and will aid in returning to solid, sustainable, and inclusive growth.