Curbing Unemployment : A Stich In Time…Absolutely Necessary

If there are any domains in Cameroon that have been given the government nightmares, unemployment has been one of them. Day-in-day-out, the government has been strategizing on how to get thousands of its citizens in the job market employed especially after graduation. Though the struggle has not been easy, there is hope in the horizon following a decline in unemployment rate. Since 2017, the least value has been 3.52% in 2024, a decline from 3.61% in 2023. The slid drop is not a sign that the government is out of the quark mire, but an indication that the different stakeholders need to make valuable use of the available tools in order to remedy the already alarming situation.
To tackle unemployment, the government must reform the education system to focus on skills for the job market, particularly vocational and tech training that are in high-demand like in agriculture (processing, engineering) and technology, while expanding and reducing the cost of vocational training to make it more accessible, strengthen job centres and counselling centres to help guide job seekers towards available opportunities. This can be followed by implementation of programmes that support technology start-ups, provide access to funding, and offer professional guidance to entrepreneurs. For now, while waiting for more facilities to be put in place, avenues to fully implement these reforms are, the National Pilot Business Incubator in Edea that supports student entrepreneurs, the National Employment Fund (NEF), which operates nationwide to connect job seekers with employers, and specific vocational training centres like, SAR SM in Kamba, Mefou, and Afamba, that received equipment to enhance practical skills. 
Beside education, investing in public works by initiating public employment programmes, such as infrastructure projects, to directly create jobs and stimulate the economy would be a plus. Implement policies that create a more open and competitive market environment, which are pivotal for ...