Yaoundé – The Ministry of External Relations (MINREX), in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in Cameroon, has officially launched the “Diaspora engagement strategy for the socio-economic development of Cameroon” project. This was done during a solemn ceremony presided over by H.E. Mr. Chinmoun Oumarou – General Secretary of MINREX, in the presence of Mr. Abdel Rahmane Diop – IOM Chief of Mission in Cameroon, with coordination functions in Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome-and-Principe. Representatives of the public administration, the United Nations system in Cameroon, IOM experts on diaspora issues, diaspora associations, civil society, sports associations, Cameroonian employers, private sector, academic institutions and the media were also present to appreciate the quintessence of the project.
Financed by the IOM Development Fund, this project aims to support the Government of Cameroon in drawing up a strategy document for mobilizing the diaspora in support of Cameroon’s sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development, taking gender issues into account and accompanied by an action plan. It will also make it possible to map the skills of members of the diaspora, create a directory of expatriate entrepreneurs and investors, and gain a better understanding of the profiles of Cameroonians living abroad.
The diaspora plays a crucial role in the economy of its country of origin, particularly through remittances, the transfer of technology and skills, investment in local initiatives and the promotion of Cameroon’s image internationally. For Mr. Abdel Rahmane Diop, “the Cameroonian diaspora is an inescapable force. It has human, cultural, social and financial capital which, if properly mobilized, can transform the country over the long term”.
According to Mr. Chinmoun Oumarou, “Cameroon has around 6 million people spread over five continents, with a high concentration in Africa, representing almost 15% of the country’s total population. They contribute more than 1% of GDP through remittances to their families”. However, the mobilization of these financial resources from the diaspora is not optimal. In 2024, Cameroonians abroad transferred $603 million (or more than CFAF 362 billion), representing 1.1% of gross domestic product, according to World Bank figures. Although considerable, these financial flows remain underutilized in relation to their potential. According to Mr. Chinmoun Oumarou, this underutilization of the financial resources of the Cameroonian community abroad can be explained by “the absence of a national strategic framework for mobilizing the Cameroonian diaspora”.
It is in response to this problem that the Government of Cameroon, under the leadership of MINREX, has requested technical and financial support from the IOM for this large-scale project. This project is fully in line with the guidelines of Cameroon’s National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (NDS 30), which identifies the diaspora as one of the major actors for achieving its objectives. This initiative also fulfils Cameroon’s commitments to implement the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (Objective 19), as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 (Point 74).
Elodie NDEME BODOLO, IOM Cameroon
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