(Business in Cameroon) – Eric Rwabidadi has assumed office as the new Country Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Cameroon, taking charge of a US $200 million rural development portfolio that reaches the country’s poorest regions.
According to an IFAD statement, Rwabidadi presented his credentials to Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations on 17 September. His mandate covers projects benefiting more than 216,000 smallholder farmers—half of them women and nearly one-third youth—with the aim of reducing Cameroon’s rice import bill by about 10% once production goals are met.
Among the flagship initiatives is the Commodity Value-Chain Development Support Project – Phase II (PADFA II), valued at US $69.4 million, with IFAD contributing US $47 million. Operating across the North, Far North, Northwest and West, PADFA II is designed to scale up rice and onion production by an estimated 118,000 tonnes of paddy rice per year, supported by new storage facilities, rural roads, and collection centres.
IFAD also highlights the ACREGIR programme, a US $9.98 million climate resilience project that has supported 8,800 households and 2,300 youth-led businesses in fragile ecosystems spanning Waza, Bénoué and Kimbi-Fungom national parks.
Rwabidadi’s responsibilities extend beyond Cameroon. As head of IFAD’s Multi-Country Office for Central Africa, he will coordinate programmes in Chad, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe—ensuring alignment with Cameroon’s Vision 2035 and regional development priorities.
IFAD has been active in Cameroon for nearly 45 years, with programmes ranging from value chain development to youth entrepreneurship and access to finance. Rwabidadi now inherits the task of consolidating these efforts at a time when rural poverty, youth unemployment, and climate shocks remain pressing challenges.
Mercy Fosoh
