The World Bank in Cameroon

Cameroon is a lower-middle-income country with a population of over 25 million (2019). Located along the Atlantic Ocean, it shares its borders with the Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Nigeria. Two of its border regions with Nigeria (northwest and southwest) are Anglophone, while the rest of the country is Francophone. Cameroon is endowed with rich natural resources, including oil and gas, mineral ores, and high-value species of timber, and agricultural products, such as coffee, cotton, cocoa, maize, and cassava.

Political Context

The first regional elections were held in December 2020. The ruling party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), won nine of the ten regions. These elections mark the start of the decentralization process provided for in the 1996 Constitution. The new regional councilors will work with the Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development to pave the way for the gradual transfer of power and the necessary funds to the regions. 

Having enjoyed several decades of stability, Cameroon has in recent years been grappling with attacks by Boko Haram in the Far North and a secessionist insurgency in the Anglophone regions. Since September 2017, this situation has displaced more than 500,000 persons internally and claimed the lives of close to 400 civilians and over 200 law enforcement officers. Following the resurgence of the crisis in the Central African Republic since January 2021, more than 6,000 Central Africans refugees have fled to Cameroon’s eastern region, which is already hosting over 60 % of Central African refugees. 

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in March 2022 Cameroon was hosting over 460,000 refugees, primarily from the Central African Republic (320,000) and Nigeria (120,000).

Social Context

Because its poverty reduction rate is lagging behind its population growth rate, the overall number of poor in Cameroon increased by 12 % to 8.1 million between 2007 and 2014, and poverty is concentrated in the country’s northern regions, where 56 % of the poor live. 

Economic Overview

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant deterioration in economic activity. Household and business income losses linked to social distancing measures and the uncertainty surrounding the course of the pandemic led to a sharp decline in consumption. Public and private investments were also adversely affected. Public services, such as schools and non-COVID-related health services, were severely disrupted. The use of family planning and prenatal care services fell by 37 % and 18 %, respectively. It is estimated that the crisis increased the extreme poverty rate from 24.5 % in 2019 to 25.3 % in 2021.

Development Challenges

Ranked 144 out of 180 countries in the 2021 Transparency International corruption perceptions index, Cameroon suffers from weak governance, hindering its development and ability to attract investors. 

Last Updated: Apr 19, 2022

World Bank Group Engagement in Cameroon

The World Bank Group’s portfolio in Cameroon comprises 21 national operations financed by IDA, the Global Environment Facility, and trust funds, with a net commitment of roughly $2.9 billion.  

The World Bank is financing a transport sector development project and an electricity transmission network improvement and energy sector reform project. It is also supporting the improvement of Cameroon’s competitiveness in energy, transport, and telecommunications. Furthermore, it is seeking to support service delivery for human development through a social safety net system and local development, with a focus on providing greater access to basic public services through infrastructure upgrades and capacity building in Cameroon’s most disadvantaged regions.

The World Bank has adopted a new Country Partnership Framework with Cameroon for the 2017-2021 period. This Partnership Framework, which was evaluated and approved in July 2021, is aligned with the objectives of the government’s national development strategy for 2020-2030, and has 12 objectives grouped into three action areas:

• eliminate poverty in rural areas, in particular in the northern regions;
• strengthen infrastructure and develop the private sector;
• improve governance.

and the crosscutting theme of strengthening the fiscal framework. 

By providing multifaceted assistance that is expected to ultimately total close to $43 million in IDA grants and credits, the World Bank’s support with the COVID-19 response is structured around four pillars:

• Saving lives;
• Protecting the poor and most vulnerable;
• Securing livelihoods, jobs, and the economy;
• Promoting a sustainable and resilient recovery.

Initial emergency financing totaling $6.8 million was provided to the government to urgently manage the health situation and purchase medical equipment, screening test kits, and protective equipment.  A $29 million emergency project was approved in September 2021 and will support efforts to strengthen the public health system in the regions. 

Last Updated: Apr 19, 2022

Boosting Electricity Production

Two projects being financed by the IBRD and IDA aim to boost access to electricity: the Rural Electricity Access Project that is being implemented in more than 400 localities and is benefiting one million people, and the Upstream Nachtigal Hydroelectric Project, which will support construction of a 420 MW dam. The Nachtigal power plant will be connected to the Southern Interconnected Grid, which accounts for approximately 94 % of Cameroon’s electricity consumption.

Enhancing Regional Trade and Integration

The Lake Chad Region Recovery and Development Project (PROLAC), which is being financed by IDA in the amount of $60 million, seeks to strengthen regional cooperation with a view to addressing the shared challenges in the subregion that foment terrorism and insecurity. It aims to improve community access to markets and socioeconomic services and includes initiatives that promote civic engagement and social cohesion.

Improving Agricultural Competitiveness

World Bank engagement in the agricultural sector comprises two IDA-financed operations. The Acceleration of the Digital Transformation of Cameroon Project supports the establishment of a more enabling environment for the development of a digital economy and the reduction of digital divides in rural areas, while seeking to facilitate the implementation of solutions that will spur agricultural innovation.

The Livestock Development Project ($100 million from IDA) aims to improve productivity, market access, and the livelihoods of small livestock farmers in the target agroecological zones.

Developing Rural Areas and Improving Social Services

The multi-donor, IDA-funded Community Development Program Support Project is an important instrument used in the implementation of the government’s rural development strategy. The program has generated strong local support from the communities involved, helping to improve school infrastructure, provide 270,000 persons with access to potable water, and increase access by 20,000 households to roads and basic social services.

Better Access and Quality of Health Services

The Health Sector Support Investment Project provides financial resources and a performance-based incentive system to boost outcomes in health facilities across 26 districts covering a total population of 2.5 million. An initial impact assessment of this mechanism in 2016 showed significant improvements in the utilization and quality of essential health services, with the percentage of fully vaccinated children increasing from 47 % to 88 % in the target areas.

Improving the Quality and Efficiency of the Education System

The Equity and Quality for Improved Learning Project is supporting a transition from teachers in public schools being paid by parents to government contract teachers.   It is financing training for existing and contract teachers and the provision of learning materials.

The $125 million Secondary Education and Skills Development Project aims to increase equitable access to quality secondary education and market-relevant technical and vocational training. 

Last Updated: Apr 19, 2022

Cameroon is one of the least aid-dependent countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. International partners such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union (EU), the Agence française de développement (AFD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), the Banque de développement des États de l’Afrique Centrale (BDEAC), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations, and Germany have strengthened their coordination mechanisms in order to further the Paris Declaration and Busan agendas for Cameroon.

Last Updated: Apr 19, 2022