(Business in Cameroon) - As part of its digital economy development plan, the Cameroonian government, through the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, listed close to 2,700 ICT projects initiated by young people, and which are only awaiting various forms of support to be developed, we learned from internal sources in this ministry.

According to our sources, these projects were registered during the national videoconferences organised last year and earlier this year between Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng and young Cameroonians interested by ICT. “They all expressed the need for appropriate support from the public authorities in the development, scoping of the projects and creation of viable and sustainable digital companies”, Minette Libom Li Likeng recently confided, while launching the concept “Digital Economy Globe-trotter”.

This tour, which worked as a first response to the needs expressed by the young ICT project initiators, consists in travelling throughout the country with teams of experts providing guidance and advice. Among the structures who will make available their respective expertise, are Camerounaise de facilitation, d’investissement et de service aux entreprises (Cafaise), a company specialised in funding and developing business plans; the Banque Camerounaise des PME (Cameroonian SME Bank), Institut Africain d’Informatique (African IT Institute) or Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (African Intellectual Property Organisation).

As a reminder, to take advantage of the dynamism observed these past years in the digital sector, the Cameroonian government developed, last year, a National Digital Economy Development Plan, which requires a global budget of FCfa 600 billion for its implementation.

BRM