Towards Entrepreneurial Universities in Cameroon: Current Status and Prospects

Introduction

The entrepreneurial university aims to produce graduates capable of creating employment opportunities, innovating, and contributing to sustainable development. Today, there is no denying the importance of teaching entrepreneurship in universities. In Cameroon, where youth unemployment reaches worrying levels (35%) and the informal economy dominates (90%), the role of universities in entrepreneurship is becoming crucial. Cameroon has undertaken several initiatives to integrate entrepreneurship into its universities.

The new law on the orientation of higher education attributes the status of “entrepreneurial university” to universities engaged in the entrepreneurial sector, and the status of “student entrepreneur” to students with a project idea and/or who intend to create a business during their academic career. However, Cameroonian universities are still largely focused on traditional academic approaches, often disconnected from economic realities and market needs (Wenguelale, 2017). Resources are limited and partnerships with the private sector are weak (Bosco, 2024). This action-oriented brief proposes an inventory of entrepreneurial initiatives in Cameroonian universities and examines the prospects for change.

1. The Moderate Integration of Entrepreneurship in Cameroonian Universities
   1. Brief Historical Background

The integration of entrepreneurship into the Cameroonian university system has evolved significantly over the past two decades, marked by legislative reforms and institutional initiatives to promote the entrepreneurial spirit among students. In the early 2000s, Cameroon initiated a reform of its higher education system with the promulgation of a new law that introduced the teaching of entrepreneurship in universities. This reform aimed to professionalize education and to integrate business-creation modules into curricula that had previously been limited to business schools.

In 2023, a major milestone was reached with the government’s adoption of the national status of student entrepreneur, making Cameroon the first country to enshrine this status in its higher education legislation. This status allows students to develop entrepreneurial projects during their academic career (Ndedi, 2011).

    1.2. University Entrepreneurship Initiatives in Cameroon

Programs such as the ENTREPRENDRE Program, supported by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) & CEPI’s Let’s Work Initiative have been set up to strengthen collaboration between universities and the private sector. A recent workshop in Yaoundé highlighted the importance of this collaboration in enhancing graduate employability and fostering a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem (Die, 2019). Discussions at this workshop highlighted three main areas: the legislative framework, networking and competitiveness, and the integration of universities into innovation channels. The Finance Act suspends customs duties for machinery intended for production in the agricultural, energy, and ICT sectors. The Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MINPMESSA) has set up a regulatory framework to support university incubators, and the status of student entrepreneur has been instituted to enable students to develop innovative projects.

• The Challenges of Fully Integrating Entrepreneurship into Cameroonian Universities

         2.1. A Limited Approach to Curricula

Current curricula in Cameroon’s university system are criticized for being out of sync with the country’s socio-economic realities. Curricula in Cameroonian universities are built from a quasi-theoretical perspective and with a limited offering of vocational streams (Wenguelale, 2017). A study on university curricula and youth entrepreneurship in Cameroon highlights that teaching programs, particularly in management schools and faculties, do not sufficiently integrate the entrepreneurial skills needed to encourage self-employment and innovation (Wagne et al., 2023).

Whereas the content of academic programs is considered, according to Ngadjui (2017), to be an objective predictor of entrepreneurial action. In addition, the harmonization of curricula within Cameroonian universities remains incomplete, leading to disparities in teaching quality and complicating students’ academic mobility. The absence of a systemic approach to curricular reform limits the effective appropriation of the new programs by educational players, thus hampering their efficient implementation.

• Infrastructure Challenges

One of the most glaring problems facing Cameroonian universities is the lack of adequate infrastructure dedicated to innovation, such as incubators and equipped laboratories, essential for developing students’ entrepreneurial skills (Bosco, 2024). This limits opportunities for practical training and experimentation, which are crucial for emerging projects.

Furthermore, the weakness of digital infrastructures is also a major obstacle, despite the Cameroonian government’s commitment to policies integrating ICT into university education (Ngnoulayé & Gervais, 2015). Traditional teaching infrastructures, often unsuited to interactive and collaborative teaching methods, also pose a problem. Overcrowded and poorly equipped classrooms do not foster the emergence of a critical and innovative mindset in students. In short, inadequate infrastructure is far from conducive to intellectual and entrepreneurial growth.

• A Lack of Synergy with the Private Sector and Funding Challenges

Collaboration between universities and the private sector remains limited. This is reflected in a lack of partnerships for the creation of training programs adapted to market needs, the absence of mentors from the business world, and low corporate involvement in academic initiatives. Universities have limited resources to develop robust entrepreneurial programs, create business incubators, or support innovative student projects (De Prince Pokam, 2010). In addition, entrepreneurs face difficulties in accessing external funding.

Initiatives have been put in place to overcome these challenges. For example, the Projet d’Appui à la Promotion de l’Entrepreneuriat et à l’Amélioration des Compétences en Soutien à l’Industrialisation (PEAC) aims to develop the skills required to meet the needs of the economy and promote entrepreneurship and employment in promising sectors.  However, the impact of these initiatives remains limited without more active involvement of the private sector and increased mobilization of financial resources.

• Opportunities for a More Dynamic Integration of Entrepreneurship in Cameroonian Universities

         3.1. Integrating Entrepreneurship into all Academic Programs

Cameroon faces the challenge of ensuring the employability of its young graduates. It is also in this context that Cameroon has seen the emergence of various youth-led enterprises in sectors such as agriculture, technology, and tourism, testifying to the country’s entrepreneurial potential through innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship (Takoudjou et al., 2023). At the same time, Cameroon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem offers a business environment marked by limited access to finance, low levels of entrepreneurial training, and regulatory barriers. On this account, it goes without saying that the importance of entrepreneurship in tertiary education lies in its ability to foster the anchoring of an entrepreneurial culture and the development of skills essential to the professional success of entrepreneurial students. By integrating entrepreneurship programs, Cameroonian universities, which are part of the university-enterprise movement, will be able to offer students with business creation projects the opportunity to adopt a consistent entrepreneurial stance. (Projet MOSE-FIC, 2022; Kasmi & Dupont, 2022).

• Strengthening Partnerships and Funding for Student Start-ups

Partnerships can play a crucial role in supporting student start-ups in Cameroon through, among other things, agreements with business incubators and gas pedals that enable student start-ups to benefit from professional mentoring, specific training programs, and introductions to potential investors, thereby enhancing their viability and competitiveness in the marketplace (de Gabriac, A. S et al., 2022).

Furthermore, funding instruments for student start-ups in Cameroon can include: grants, scholarships, seed funds, and venture capital. Grants and scholarships are non-repayable sources of funding that can be particularly attractive to student start-ups. Seed funds are capital investments designed to support the launch and early growth stages of start-ups. In Cameroon, these funds can come from private or public investment funds, or even from inter-university partnerships. Student start-ups can benefit from these funds to validate their prototype, develop their product or servic,e and reach significant milestones to attract larger investors.

Venture capital is a more advanced form of financing, aimed at start-ups that have already validated their business model and have strong potential for large-scale growth. There are venture capital firms in Cameroon that can provide this type of financing. Student start-ups that reach this stage can benefit not only from financial support but also from expertise and networking to accelerate their development.

Recommendations

• We propose closer cooperation between universities, the private sector, and the non-governmental sector.  Specific, quantifiable objectives in areas such as technology, manufacturing, and supply must be implemented to achieve long-term results.
• The quality of training courses needs to incorporate a technology aspect so that students and future entrepreneurs are trained in practical skills, which could increase the productivity and competitiveness of our private sector.
• Key sectors such as the agro-industry need to be targeted to improve production and supply for flour, wheat, and the products most consumed by households. This will generate long-term employment and reduce dependence on imports.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the integration of entrepreneurship into Cameroonian universities is still incomplete and in need of profound change. Although initiatives exist to encourage entrepreneurship, they are struggling to overcome structural, pedagogical, and financial obstacles. Adapting curricula to better meet market needs, improving infrastructure dedicated to innovation, and strengthening partnerships with the private sector are essential to creating an ecosystem conducive to entrepreneurship.

References List

1. Ngadjui, W. A. (2017). Perception des curricula et intention entrepreneuriale des étudiants camerounais dans le cadre du système LMD. https://dicames.online/jspui/bitstream/20.500.12177/7666/1/ENSET_EBO_BC_21_0321.pdf
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6. AUF. (2024). Entrepreneuriat et Employabilité : Collaboration entre Universités et Entreprises Pour l’Insertion des Jeunes. https://www.auf.org/afrique-centrale-grands-lacs/nouvelles/actualites/entrepreneuriat-et-employabilite-collaboration-entre-universites-et-entreprises-pour-linsertion-des-jeunes/  
7. Ndedi, A. A. (2011). Les Défis Des Universités Entrepreneuriales AU Cameroun (March 30, 2011). https://ssrn.com/abstract=1799171
8. Tahingam, P. (2024). Le Cameroun seul pays sur 120 à adopter le Statut national de l’étudiant entrepreneur, Journal du Cameroun.  https://fr.journalducameroun.com/le-cameroun-seul-pays-sur-120-a-adopter-le-statut-national-de-letudiant-entrepreneur/

Dr. Herve Wouapi – Research Fellow

Hawaing Ferdinand Djamo – National Coordinator

Henri Kouam – Executive Director & Economist