Youth Empowerment: Projects, Programmes Offer Opportunities

 The three-year “Special Youth” Plan, ongoing and planned infrastructure projects are some of government’s offers youths have to take advantage of in 2018.

President Paul Biya in his address to the youths on February 10, 2018 on the eve of the 52rd edition of the National Youth Day celebrations, invited Cameroon’s youths to take advantage of the numerous projects and programmes most of which are under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education to accelerate their socio-economic integration and empowerment.

The Head of State said, “Our GESP-based development programme will be continued, as will the three-year "special youth" plan which, since its inception last year, has prioritized youth access to agriculture, industry, handicrafts, the digital economy and innovation.” Some 507,614 youths registered for the “Special Youth” plan in 2017.

In the days ahead youths who registered with the National Youth Observatory and submitted projects for funding within the framework of the plan will see their dreams come true.

The first set of 2,150 projects approved by Follow up Committee  of the Plan selected in 2017 are ready for financing at the sum of FCFA 3 317 674 720. The Follow up Committee will in the near future take a decision on the second set of 847 projects  that would hopefully  be financed at the sum of FCFA 3 517 660 256.

The plan targets 1500 000 youths and the total budget allocated to empower youths in the targeted sectors is FCFA 102 billion. More youths are therefore invited to enroll with the National Youth Observatory in order to benefit from the opportunities the plan offers.

Qualified youths also have enticing opportunities at their disposal in transport infrastructure and energy sectors. President Biya said that 2018 will mark the completion of first-generation projects that constitute huge employment reservoirs for Cameroo...