(Business in Cameroon) – The Diaspora and Local Youth Joint-Venture (Dialyj) initiative has funded 27 youth-led projects in 2023, with a total investment of CFA399 million. This data is from a report by the Ministry of Youth and Civic Education, titled “Status of Youth Projects Funded Under the PTS-J (Special Three-Year Youth Plan) from the Dialyj Initiative for 2023.” This funding follows the first call for project proposals issued by Minister Mounouna Foutsou on March 29, 2022. The initiative supports projects by young Cameroonians abroad in partnership with their local peers.
Among the funded projects, 16 come from the Center region, with 14 based in Mfoundi, where Yaoundé is located. Other projects are spread across the Littoral (5), Far North (2), North (1), West (1), South (1), and Southwest (1) regions. Grants of CFA10 million to CFA25 million were awarded to projects in various sectors, including agriculture, aquaculture, renewable energy, digital technology, fishing, and healthcare. The largest grant, CFA25 million, went to a project in Pitoa, Far North, for processing and marketing local rice.
Dialyj is part of the Program for Supporting the Return and Insertion of Young Diaspora (Pari-Jedi). It targets young adults between 21 and 35, aiming to promote idea-sharing and resource exchange between diaspora youth and their local counterparts, mainly through an online platform. The program encourages young Cameroonians abroad to realize their projects while building ties to their homeland. It funds business creation projects led by diaspora youth who work alongside local youth, either individually or as teams.
The Ministry of Youth and Civic Education notes that the supported projects span high-growth sectors across economic, technical, and social fields. The projects align with Cameroon’s local, regional, and national economic priorities, as well as with its import-substitution and industrialization plans. These projects cover 14 areas, including second-generation agriculture, poultry production, the circular economy, and automotive maintenance. This initiative aims to address the pressing employment challenges facing young people.
Cameroon’s third Employment and Informal Sector Survey (EESI3), conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), shows that unemployment rose to 8.7% in 2021, a three-point increase from 2010. The survey reveals that 62% of the population, or more than 16 million people, are of working age. However, youth employment rates remain low—only 39.3% among those aged 15-34. Employment is split at 47.2% for young men and 31.3% for young women. Young graduates encounter even greater hurdles. According to INS’s education and training sector report, the unemployment rate for 25-35-year-olds with higher education degrees is 14.8%, five times higher than for unschooled individuals in the same age group.
In response, President Paul Biya has called on young Cameroonians, both at home and abroad, to contribute to national economic growth. In his Youth Day address on February 11, he urged young people to focus on producing goods and services to reduce imports. He also highlighted the opportunities within the 2024-2026 Import-Substitution Plan. Dialyj supports this broader government strategy, aiming to improve youth employability and strengthen the local economy.
