business, Human Resources & Employment, SME, Training & Education

Cameroon and AfDB Sign €136 Million Loan to Boost Jobs, Skills, and Entrepreneurship in Far North

The five-year CAP2E programme will train 6,000 youth, create 5,000 jobs (40% for women), support over 500 SMEs, and strengthen infrastructure in Cameroon’s conflict-affected Far North region. In featured pic: Cameroon’s Economy Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey and AfDB Central Africa Director General Léandre Bassolé sign the agreements in Yaoundé

Transforming Human Capital Through CAP2E

Family photo with Cameroon officials, AfDB representatives and lawmakers from the Far North region

Cameroon and the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) have signed loan agreements worth €136 million to launch the Building Capacities and Skills for Employability and Entrepreneurship in the Extrême Nord Region (CAP2E) programme. The initiative will modernise infrastructure, strengthen human capital, and create opportunities in a region deeply affected by conflict.

Ambitious Targets for Jobs and Training

The financing package includes €5.8 million from the Bank’s concessional lending arm, the African Development Fund (https://apo-opa.co/46GcPXC), and €130.2 million from its non-concessional window.

Over five years, the programme will:

  • Provide technical and vocational training for 6,000 young people.
  • Create 5,000 jobs, with 40% reserved for women.
  • Support more than 500 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

In addition, CAP2E will finance the construction or rehabilitation of 22 training centres and 29 social facilities. It will also expand access to health and education services. Moreover, the programme will promote renewable energy solutions to build climate resilience.

Driving Inclusive and Sustainable Growth

Mey and Bassolé exchange documents after signing the agreements

At the signing ceremony in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, said:

“The aim is to invest in human capital, strengthen the skills of local people, and create job opportunities in promising sectors such as agriculture and renewables. The programme will help to promote shared prosperity, reduce inequalities, and consolidate social stability, with particular attention to young people and women.”

AfDB’s Director General for Central Africa, Léandre Bassolé, called the initiative a “genuine catalyst for transformation”, reaffirming the Bank’s commitment to sustainable empowerment of youth and women.

Aligned With National and Regional Strategies

The programme aligns with Cameroon’s national development strategy, AfDB’s 2023–2028 country strategy, and the government’s Special Programme for the Reconstruction and Development of the Far North. Collectively, these efforts aim to strengthen infrastructure, foster entrepreneurship, and accelerate regional recovery.

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