The Government of Cameroon and the African Development Bank Group have launched a major initiative to boost jobs, skills development, and resilience in the country’s Far North region. The programme, called Building Capacities and Skills for Employability and Entrepreneurship in the Far North Region of Cameroon (CAP2E), was unveiled in Maroua on 23 February 2026. It aims to create sustainable and inclusive employment by strengthening human capital, stimulating local economic activity, and improving social infrastructure in the region.
CAP2E is funded with €136 million (approximately 89.2 billion CFA) from the Bank Group and is being implemented for the first time in Cameroon and Central Africa using a results-based financing (RBF) mechanism, which links disbursements to the verified achievement of predefined objectives. The programme is scheduled to run for five years, from 2025 to 2030, and is designed to ensure efficient public spending while promoting national ownership and multi-donor coordination.
The launch event in Maroua brought together senior government officials, regional authorities, private sector representatives, and Bank officials. Notable attendees included Midjiyawa Bakari, Governor of the Far North Region, Mouhamed Gueye, Head of the Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Division at AfDB, Haman-Djallo, President of the Regional Council, and Sali Babani, Mayor of Maroua. Participants highlighted the programme’s role in addressing challenges such as youth unemployment, a mismatch between training and labor market needs, socioeconomic fragility, inadequate infrastructure, and climate vulnerability.
CAP2E focuses on three main areas: strengthening technical and vocational training, supporting economic development and entrepreneurship, and upgrading basic social infrastructure. The programme plans to construct and equip 22 technical, technological, and vocational centres to improve learning conditions for nearly 30,000 current students and increase enrolment by at least 20 percent, targeting an additional 6,000 learners, 40 percent of whom will be girls. Curricula will be aligned with private sector needs to enhance employability.
The initiative will also support local economic development through the construction of 10 public and commercial facilities for private operators, including markets and shared service centres, alongside financial and technical assistance for 1,400 small and medium-sized enterprises. Infrastructure upgrades will include the refurbishment of 15 hospitals, 10 schools, and four health centres, with attention to gender responsiveness and climate resilience.
By 2029, CAP2E aims to achieve an 80 percent workplace integration rate among trained graduates, create 5,000 jobs—60 percent for young people and 40 percent for women—and generate a significant number of green jobs. Implementation is being led by the Special Programme for the Reconstruction and Development of the Far North Region (PSRDREN), with programme coordinator Alhadji Magra Massaou emphasizing that strong coordination and results-driven execution are key to the initiative’s success.
The official launch followed a start-up workshop held from 17 to 19 February 2026, focused on strengthening institutional capacity, aligning stakeholders, and conducting site visits to training institutions that will benefit from the programme. The initiative represents a significant investment in human capital, local development, and long-term resilience in the Far North region of Cameroon.
