More than 200 Cameroonian small and medium-sized enterprise promoters have now completed financial management training under a partnership between the SME Promotion Agency, APME, and the International Finance Corporation, IFC, as authorities seek to strengthen the financial credibility of businesses and improve access to bank financing. The latest session was held recently in Douala. It trained about 60 SME managers drawn from several regions of the country on financial management, treasury control, savings strategies and access to credit facilities.
The training took place at the Douala Centre of Vocational Excellence and was part of a broader programme launched under an agreement signed on April 2, 2025 between APME and the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. According to officials, the initiative is targeting 500 entrepreneurs nationwide through a mix of online and in-person sessions designed to improve the financial governance of SMEs.
Participants received modules on profitability management, financial analysis, record keeping, working capital management, savings mechanisms and treasury crisis management. Organisers said the programme also seeks to strengthen the technical capacity of APME staff so that they can transition from trainers to master trainers for future sessions.
Jean-Marie Louis Badga, Director General of APME, said the programme was designed to address structural financing difficulties facing SMEs in Cameroon, particularly the information gap between businesses and banks.
“It is necessary to resolve the problem of information asymmetry between SMEs and banks, and this can only be done through reliable accounting documents and properly maintained records so that financial institutions can have confidence in the enterprise,” Badga said during the certificate ceremony.
The Douala session marked the fourth phase of the programme, following earlier training cycles organised in both online and physical formats. Organisers said the practical approach of the sessions was intended to help business owners better understand financial discipline and improve their ability to secure external funding.
Bibiana Mbuh Taku, an IFC trainer involved in the programme, said participant engagement remained strong throughout the sessions.
“I am satisfied with the level of commitment from the learners. Participation was high and the exchange of experiences showed growing understanding of financial management practices,” she said.
The programme comes as Cameroon records continued expansion in its SME sector, which remains the dominant component of the national business landscape. Data published by the Ministry of SMEs, Social Economy and Handicrafts showed that Cameroon had 443,524 SMEs in 2024, representing about 99 per cent of all registered enterprises in the country. Around 50,349 new SMEs were created during the year, reflecting annual growth of 12.8 per cent.
Official figures also indicate that SMEs generated nearly 137,847 jobs in 2023, with most operating in the services and trade sectors. Douala and Yaounde together account for more than half of all SMEs in the country.
For Vincent Onana Bingueyi, an SME promoter based in Yaounde, the Douala training offered practical tools for improving business operations.
“The training was important for updating the management structure of my business and improving financial monitoring,” he said.
Mercy Fosoh
