Inclusive Employment: Cameroon Launches Inaugural National Forum In Yaounde

The first National Forum on Inclusive Employment (Forum National de l'Emploi Inclusif – FONAEI 2026) officially opened in the Yaoundé Conference Centre on July 22, 2026. It is organized by the Active Synergy Association (Association Synergie Active – SYNAC) under the high patronage of the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training, MINEFOP.

Theme, Expected Outcomes  

The two-day national event running from July 22-23, 2026, is centered on the central theme: “Building an inclusive, equitable, and high-performing labor market.” The forum brings together State officials, corporate leaders, civil society organizations, diplomatic representatives, international technical partners, people with disabilities, and job seekers. To address the institutional and economic barriers that prevent marginalized populations from securing gainful employment.

Delivering the opening address at the official ceremony, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee and President of Synergie Active, Eric Didier Edang Mengala, laid out the structural challenge facing the country's economic system. While thousands of educated young people and members of vulnerable communities remain trapped in unemployment and precarious living conditions, employers across various sectors consistently report shortages of qualified labour.

Inclusive Is Not Favour

"This paradox challenges us all," stated Edang Mengala during his keynote speech. "Inclusion is not a favour. It constitutes an imperative of social justice, but also a real lever for economic performance. A company that hires based on skills rather than prejudice becomes more innovative, more competitive, and more resilient."

The organizers emphasized that FONAEI 2026 is specifically tailored to assist priority target groups who face heightened obstacles in the formal job market. Such as unemployed young graduates searching for their first career placement. Women living in precarious economic conditions. Persons living with disabilities needing workplace accommodations and equal opportunity. And refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs seeking socio-professional integration.

Over 2,000 participants and roughly 20 partner institutions, support structures, and corporate exhibitors are attending the summit in the Yaounde Conference Centre. The forum offers a multi-faceted platform combining high-level policy dialogue with direct, on-the-ground recruitment and career development activities.

Policy, Training, Financing

Beyond direct recruitment, FONAEI 2026 is geared toward establishing long-term structural reforms within Cameroon's labor ecosystem. Key areas of focus across the panel sessions include panelists evaluating ways to modernize vocational training programs so that graduates acquire skills that directly match current corporate requirements.

Discussions featuring microfinance institutions, international funding organizations, and public bodies. On simplifying business creation procedures and improving access to capital for young entrepreneurs, women, and vulnerable populations. Experts discussing policy mechanisms to extend basic...