[Digital Business Africa] – In an official joint communiqué signed on September 11, 2025, in Yaoundé by Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo, Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education (MINESUP), and Mounouna Foutsou, Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education (MINJEC), the Cameroonian government has announced a special call for applications to finance 5,000 innovative projects initiated by student-entrepreneurs across the country.
Goal: Support creative youth for sustainable socio-economic integration
Selected candidates will benefit from technical support and financial assistance to help them integrate into the productive economy and the national entrepreneurial ecosystem.
This ambitious initiative seeks to:
- Promote the creation of startups and innovative projects by young people;
- Boost the national economy through four key sectors: agriculture, digital, industrial crafts, and emerging technologies;
- Facilitate the professional integration of graduates in a context of growing unemployment.
Priority Sectors: Digital, Agriculture, and Emerging Technologies
The program will give special attention to projects in the following areas:
- Digital: mobile app development, e-commerce, cybersecurity, AI, digital transformation, etc.;
- Agriculture: agri-tech, local processing, value chains, smart farming equipment;
- ️ Emerging Technologies: renewable energy, robotics, environment, fintech, etc.
In Line with the President’s Vision
This special call aligns with Cameroon’s Vision 2035 and fulfills the President’s commitment to place youth at the center of economic transformation. It is part of the National Development Strategy 2020–2030 (SND30) and echoes the student-entrepreneur concept introduced by MINESUP.
It complements existing frameworks such as the Three-Year Special Youth Plan (PTS-Jeunes) and the Income-Generating Activities Support Program (PACAGR).
Who Can Apply?
The program targets students who are:
- Cameroonian nationals;
- Aged 15 to 35;
- Officially enrolled in a public or private university in Cameroon;
- Residing in Cameroon;
- Registered with the National Youth Observatory (ONJ);
- And holding an innovative project, prototype, or startup under development.
Note: Special encouragement is given to female candidates, persons with disabilities, and students in incubation programs.
Application Requirements
From the date of the communiqué until September 19, 2025, each applicant or group must submit the following documents:
- A motivation letter addressed to both Ministers;
- A completed application form (downloadable here or available at Youth Promotion Multipurpose Centers – CMPJ – or university offices);
- A project description or business plan;
- A copy of the national ID card or valid receipt;
- A copy of student ID, proof of registration, or tuition fee receipt for the current academic year;
- A location map;
- Company creation documents for those already owning a startup or prototype.
Submission Deadline: September 19, 2025
- Physical submissions (sealed envelope) must be deposited no later than 3:30 PM at:
- MINESUP’s Mail Office (Ministerial Building No. 2, 9th Floor, Room 929), or
- MINJEC headquarters (opposite the National Archives), or at Regional Delegations of MINJEC, or authorized university institutions.
- Digital submissions must be sent by 11:59 PM to:
[email protected] or via www.minesup.gov.cm
Important: Applications must clearly state: “FOR THE SELECTION AND FUNDING OF FIVE THOUSAND (5000) STUDENT-ENTREPRENEUR PROJECTS IN CAMEROON TO SUPPORT SOCIO-ECONOMIC INTEGRATION”
Useful contacts:
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- MINJEC : 696 255 162 / 655 593 322
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- MINESUP : 679 389 992
A Strategic Lever for the Future
This program reinforces the University–Enterprise model already promoted by events like GETEC (Salon du Génie et Talent de l’Étudiant Camerounais). It offers Cameroonian youth a real opportunity to shape their own employability and contribute to the country’s digital and economic transformation.
A Message to Cameroon’s Youth
Jacques Fame Ndongo (MINESUP) and Mounouna Foutsou (MINJEC), co-signatories of the communiqué, urge students to apply massively. This is a unique opportunity to accelerate professional integration through entrepreneurship.
By Digital Business Africa
