The Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports of the Francophonie (CONFEJES) will connect 100 Cameroonian women entrepreneurs with financial institutions, investors and business partners through a new initiative aimed at tackling financing and capacity constraints facing women-led businesses in agriculture and the digital economy.
The entrepreneurs will be selected from Cameroon’s 10 regions to participate in the Women’s Agri-Digital Entrepreneurship Fair, scheduled for October 20-23 in Yaounde. Ten entrepreneurs from other CONFEJES member countries are also expected to take part.
The initiative comes as access to finance remains one of the main obstacles facing women-owned businesses. Citing African Development Bank estimates, CONFEJES says the financing gap for women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa exceeds CFAF 23,500 billion. Women entrepreneurs also face difficulties accessing technology, training, markets and business networks, according to the organization.
CONFEJES Secretary-General Louisette-Renée Thobi Etame-Ndedi told reporters after a recent press conference that financing difficulties are also linked to shortcomings in business training and mentorship.
“Today, vulnerable people have less and less access to financing. One of the main reasons young girls and women struggle to obtain funding is sometimes a lack of training. They are also not sufficiently mentored, which is why we want to create a chain of mentors for each of them,” Thobi Etame-Ndedi said.
Under the program, selected entrepreneurs will receive capacity-building support, while some will benefit from longer-term mentoring. Financial institutions will also engage directly with participants to help them better understand financing mechanisms and funding requirements.
CONFEJES wants the initiative to encourage women entrepreneurs to develop businesses that operate within broader value chains rather than remain largely individual or family-run activities.
From small ventures to formal businesses
Scope Consulting & Services has been commissioned by CONFEJES to provide strategic support for the event. The firm will help connect the organizers with public institutions, financial institutions, development partners, international organizations and private companies.
Scope Consulting & Services Chief Executive Officer Alain Blaise Batongue said the initiative is designed to help selected entrepreneurs move from informal or family-based activities toward more structured businesses.
“We also want to give 100 Cameroonian girls, together with 10 participants from abroad, the opportunity to make the leap from a personal or family initiative to a very small business and, later, perhaps a small or medium-sized enterprise. They will be able to benefit from training, contacts and, we hope, secure financing,” Batongue said.
According to Batongue, CONFEJES will launch a digital application process, after which an independent jury will select the participants. Ten Cameroonian entrepreneurs will be chosen from each of the country’s 10 regions.
The four-day fair will combine capacity-building workshops, product and service exhibitions, conferences, business-to-business meetings and networking sessions. Investors, financial institutions, private companies, public institutions and development partners are also expected to participate.
Agriculture and digital technology will be at the center of the event, with organizers seeking to expose participants to opportunities in areas such as digital financial services, e-commerce, technology adoption and access to new markets.
Building on a Francophone entrepreneurship program
The fair is being organized under CONFEJES’ Program for the Promotion of Youth Entrepreneurship (PPEJ), which has operated across the Francophone world since 1989.
According to figures provided by CONFEJES, the program has reached 2,857 beneficiaries and mobilized more than CFAF 5.3 billion. It also reports more than 9,600 projected direct jobs, while women account for 52% of beneficiaries.
Beyond showcasing products and services, CONFEJES says the October fair is intended to build partnerships, connect entrepreneurs with financing and strengthen women-led businesses operating in agriculture and the digital economy.
Mercy Fosoh
