Cameroon

Catalyst for Green Women's Entrepreneurship in Cameroon

The IYBA WE4A project contributes to the emergence of a new generation of women in the green entrepreneurship, who position themselves as true drivers of a strong and inclusive economy in Cameroon.

Through targeted supports, IYBA WE4A transforms their business initiatives into successful and environmentally friendly enterprises. The involvement of Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (ESOs) in this mission ensures a lasting impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cameroon.

Effective cooperation with the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, Social Economy, and Handicrafts (MINPMEESA) positions the project as a major player in the materialization of the Cameroonian government's will to make micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) a strategic lever for economic growth and innovation.

IYBA WE4A Implementation Approach in Cameroon

The project is being implemented in partnership with experienced stakeholders to ensure that women entrepreneurs have access to both financing and the skills needed to manage it for the sustainable growth of their businesses. In this line, the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) delivers tailored training, mentorship, and seed funding to empower women entrepreneurs to develop and grow their businesses. Moreover, In partnerships with financial institutions, including Investisseurs & Partenaires, the programme co-designs and delivers financing solutions tailored to the needs of women-led MSMEs in Cameroon. These partnerships help women entrepreneurs overcome financing barriers and access the capital required for sustainable growth.

In cooperation with local experienced Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (ESOs) such as JFN CENTER, the Support Center for technology, Innovation and incubation of the University of Dschang (CATI2-UDs), the business Incubator at the University of Maroua, and AfricanWITS, environmentally friendly and gender-sensitive Business Development Services (BDS) are co-designed and delivered for more competitive businesses owned and led by women. These BDS are aligned to the following core pillars: 

• Capacity Building: The project supports women entrepreneurs in developing their technical, managerial, and entrepreneurial skills to enhance the performance and sustainability of their businesses,
• Networking and Strategic Partnerships: Through various platforms enabling visibility, connections, networking, experience-sharing the project fosters the creation of synergies between entrepreneurs and public institutions, financial actors as well as technical experts, thereby stimulating collaboration, business opportunities and access to funding,
• Gender and Innovation: The project promotes the leverage of human centric approaches as ICT solutions to build measures that address specific needs of women in the strategic and operational development of women led businesses.

Looking ahead, the personal and entrepreneurial skills of more than 500 women owning or co-owning start-ups and MSMEs operating in the target IYBA WE4A target sectors will be strengthened to make their businesses greener, more competitive and more attractive to new markets and financing opportunities.

Impact

The implementation approach of the IYBA WE4A project in Cameroon ultimately lead to:

• Increased participation of women to the economic growth and decent jobs
• The rise of a greener economy in Cameroon
• The development of a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem