(Business in Cameroon) – Cosumaf extends its financial education forum to all six Cemac countries
- Initiative seeks to build financial literacy among university and vocational students
- Program supports the regulator’s 2024–2028 strategy to strengthen investor education
The Central African Financial Market Supervisory Commission (Cosumaf) is pushing ahead with its strategy to strengthen financial literacy across the regional bloc. For the second consecutive year, the regulator is organizing the Financial Market Olympiad, a financial education forum for universities and vocational schools, now expanded to all six Cemac member states.
This regional rollout marks a scale-up of the event launched in 2024 to bring academia closer to the realities of the financial market. The goal is to familiarize students, the region’s future economic actors, with stock market mechanisms, transparency rules, and modern tools for investment and risk management.
A key tool in Cosumaf’s 2024–2028 strategic plan
Integrated into the 2024–2028 strategic plan, the initiative aligns with Principle 3 of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), which calls for active involvement of regulators in investor education. Cosumaf aims to play a central role in a region where low stock market literacy remains one of the main obstacles to financial market development.
By strengthening training for young people across the six Cemac states, the regulator aims to build a new generation of informed investors able to support the long-term growth of the regional financial market. This is a crucial goal in a zone where corporate financing still relies heavily on the traditional banking sector.
Immersive programs to bridge theory and practice
After the first edition, candidates took part in immersive programs with several market players — including Cosumaf, brokerage firms, and asset management companies — allowing them to test their theoretical knowledge in real professional settings.
These insights reinforce Cosumaf’s decision to rely on a practical, hands-on educational approach built on direct interaction with market institutions and exposure to real issues in regulation, financial intermediation, and asset management.
Amina Malloum
