Cameroon plans to spend nearly US$5.9 million on a new program aimed at training and supporting young entrepreneurs in its northern regions, where communities continue to grapple with insecurity, unemployment and economic hardship linked to years of extremist violence.
The initiative forms part of the fourth phase of the Project to Support the Socio-Economic Resilience of Vulnerable Youth in Northern Cameroon, known as Parse IV.
Details of the program were presented during the project’s first steering committee meeting held on May 8 in Yaounde.
The project will be financed mainly by Germany through development agency GIZ, which is contributing five million euros, equivalent to about US$5.4 million.
The Cameroonian government will provide additional counterpart funding of about $370,000, bringing the overall budget close to US$5.9 million.
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Authorities said the initiative is expected to officially begin on December 1, 2026 and continue until the end of 2028.
The program will operate in 12 municipalities across the Adamawa, Far North and North regions, areas that have been heavily affected by insecurity and displacement linked to attacks by Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
Officials said Parse IV aims to train and support 1,000 young people through vocational and entrepreneurial development programs during the implementation period.
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According to the steering committee, the project will combine several support mechanisms within a single framework, including professional training, entrepreneurship promotion, psychosocial support, community resilience initiatives and adaptation to climate-related challenges.
Participants at the meeting also recommended the introduction of quotas for people living with disabilities and called for greater emphasis on digital entrepreneurship skills as part of the training curriculum.
They further urged authorities to ensure that all training activities are conducted exclusively through state-recognized institutions.
The initiative continues a broader cooperation partnership between Cameroon and Germany launched in 2016 to address the socio-economic consequences of insecurity in northern Cameroon.
The region has suffered repeated attacks and instability linked to Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad basin, which has displaced thousands of people, disrupted livelihoods and weakened local economies.
According to Rico Langeheine, the program is intended to help vulnerable young people in fragile communities achieve long-term economic independence.
Development partners and government officials say unemployment and limited economic opportunities have made many young people in the region particularly vulnerable to poverty, social exclusion and recruitment by armed groups.
Earlier phases of the program received about $10.8 million in funding between 2016 and 2019, followed by roughly $5.9 million between 2020 and 2022 and another $5.4 million from 2023 to 2025.
According to figures presented during the steering committee meeting, the first three phases supported more than 7,500 vulnerable young people through vocational training, business start-up kits and technical and financial assistance.
Authorities hope the latest phase will further strengthen social stability and economic recovery in northern Cameroon while expanding opportunities for youth entrepreneurship and local business creation.
The government has increasingly promoted youth employment and skills development as part of broader efforts to address regional inequalities and reduce the long-term impact of conflict and economic fragility in the north.
