Craftsmanship: Developing The Economy Stimulus

T he 9th edition of the International Handicraft Exhi- bition of Cameroon (SIARC) ends at the Yaounde National Museum this Wednesday August 5, 2026. For over a week; since July 27, craftsmen from across the ten regions of the country and beyond the national territory displayed the aptitude of their brain and hand- works, created business contacts and equally sold their varied products to thousands of visitors who thronged the exhibition village daily. As they return to base and obviously evaluate their par- ticipation at the international rendezvous, hopes are that all and sundry will as well strive to practice the lessons learned. This is what would improve on their performance and by extension their income as they hope to break new grounds. Understandably so as beyond the display of what craftsmen brought to Yaounde, SIARC 2026 also featured business-to-business meetings, training workshops, conferences and networking sessions. Organisers say the crafts fair equally served as a platform for artisans to learn new production skills, explore marketing openings offered by the enticing digital technology and attract likely in- vestors to the creative industry. All these geared towards better sharpening the skills of the creators and innovators of works of arts with the overall goal of improving the competitiveness of the handicrafts sector in the coun- try. How well the lofty objectives were attained can only be seen and felt in the medium and long terms. However, the initiative that has spanned years now is an encoura- ging one indeed. What the Yaounde crafts fair brought to the public eye speaks volumes of the country’s riches and diversity in the industry. Locally-made products like traditional fabrics, sculptures, jewellery, leather works, pottery and even by-products from a wide-ranging agro- pastoral produce in the country left visitors spellbound. Quite inspiring with brighter prospects if tactfully deve- loped! All these lend credence to huge potentials in craftsmanship that is regrettably yet to be fully explored, developed and valorised. The ingenuity is there and the products to be transformed readily available in all corners of the country. Growing the skills beyond the mere subsistence benefit of the sometimes ill-informed artisan remains a surmountable challenge. More so as available statistics show that its contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product still hovers around 5 per cent. This is paltry for a sector that reportedly recruits nearly 60 per cent of Cameroon’s working population and represents a significant source of wealth, employment, social inclusion and the preser- vation of cultural heritage. This is not only for the unem- ployed but even for the employed who can make good use of their creativity to augment and diversify their sources of revenue. It could be an extra activity that prevents boredom while optimising income. For in most visionary economies, citizens hardly rely on one trade. There is therefore need to unearth the treasure still hidden in handicrafts. The artisan sector is a veritable goldmine, to say the least, that still remains under-ex- ploited. The economy stimulus needs in-depth develop- ment and serious valorisation. From observation, handi- ...