SMEs ministry slates 7th Cameroon Global Entrepreneurship Week November 18 to 21.

It will be on the theme: “Productive Entrepreneurship and Opportunities under the Subcontracting Law”. 

According to information released by MINPMEESA, Minister Achille Bassilekin III will preside over the opening and closing ceremonies at Franco Hotel in Yaounde on November 18 and 21. The ministry further confirmed that activities will take place across the country under the coordination of regional and departmental delegates. The event targets entrepreneurs, artisans, social economy organisations, project developers, incubators, accelerators and startups.

MINPMEESA, in a social media outing, revealed that the 7th edition of CGEW will provide an opportunity for networking, information sharing and capacity-building, aimed at fostering a more competitive and productive SME sector across the country.

The Cameroon Global Entrepreneurship Week forms part of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, GEN, initiative, celebrated annually in more than 180 countries. The GEN platform mobilises millions of participants worldwide to promote innovation, collaboration and job creation. In Cameroon, this year’s event aims to strengthen the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in productive value chains, with a focus on the Subcontracting Law that encourages partnerships between large companies and local SMEs. 

It is worth noting that in Cameroon, SMEs remain a backbone of the economy, with more than 400,000 small and medium-sized enterprises recorded nationally, representing over 90% of the business landscape, according to MINPMEESA’s 2023 sector figures. 

Data from the National Institute of Statistics, NIS, shows that SMEs contribute around 34% of national GDP and employ more than 70% of the urban workforce. However, the Ministry of Finance’s 2024 SME Financing Report notes that only 15% of SMEs have access to formal credit, underscoring the need for stronger financial inclusion measures.

MINPMEESA states that the 7th edition of CGEW aims to mobilise business actors by offering information, capacity-building and networking opportunities for project holders and emerging enterprises.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3622 of Tuesday November 11, 2025