Biya’s women-youth priority agenda: Mines minister announces 38,000 jobs in 2026.

The member of government made the announcement in Yaounde Wednesday. 

This was during a meeting he held with young people, drawn from the national territory, women and stakeholders in the mining sector. 

In his address, Minister Fuh Calistus explained that the meeting was in line with the guidelines of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya. 

The Head of State, the minister mentioned, had revealed in his inaugural speech during his swearing-in ceremony on Thursday November 6, 2025, that his seven-year term will focus on the empowerment of young people and women. 

Minister Fuh Calistus assured Cameroonians that the “situation will change,” and that there is a promising future in sight in what he described as "a new era in the mining industry”. 

He, however, encouraged them to “allow the industry to take roots”. This follows growing concerns from the youth and women to secure jobs. 

Minister Fuh Calistus said in 2026, they are looking at 10,000 direct jobs, which will go to the three major projects of Minim Martap, Grand Zambi and Sino Steel, as well as new projects the ministry intends to introduce in Nkout and Ntem. 

“We are envisaging 38,000 direct and indirect jobs for the young men of this country in 2026 alone. I want to say that the projects that are going on now, the mining sector has come to stay, together with the petroleum sector,” Minister Fuh Calistus told reporters after the meeting. 

He added that: “I want to assure the young men of this country that all those who have been trained in mining schools and those who are going to open like the one we have projected to open in the South Region, are capable of absorbing all our trained young men”. 

According to the minister, in addition to direct jobs for industrial mining professionals, and in order to enable women and young people to capture an ever-increasing share of the added value generated by the boom in Cameroon's mining sector, several related professions will be in demand. 

The minister said this includes heavy equipment operators, mine labourers, occupational physicians, nurses, first aiders, and many more.

Women, youth at heart of mining projects 

According to Minister Fuh Calistus, women and youth have always been a priority for the government in its fast-rising mining sector. 

The minister revealed that the mining sector, which already employs at least 1,000 Cameroonians in ongoing production projects, is set to absorb nearly 7,500 direct jobs, 15,000 indirect jobs. 

He said there is also bright prospects for a wide range of sectors such as catering, the supply of personal protective equipment, transport and logistics, ore transport within the sites, maintenance and servicing, security services, human resources management, and industrial mining waste management. 

The mining-related industrial sector, he added, will also offer great opportunities for local Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, SMEs, and Small and Medium-sized Industries, SMIs, just like the downstream oil sector, which will enable the hiring of 2,500 young Cameroonians. 

Also, the minister went further to mention that the Minim-Martap industrial bauxite mining project, which will make Cameroon the second largest bauxite producer in Africa, for instance has nearly 2,700 indirect jobs and could generate, at full expansion, more 5,000 direct jobs and a multitude of opportunities for local SMEs and SMIs. 

He added that the Bipindi Grand-Zambi iron ore mining project has already hired 500 people, 90% of whom are young Cameroonians. 

Also, the minister said the Lobé iron ore mining project in Kribi, with reserves estimated at around 632.82 million tons of ore with an average iron content of 33%, will need around 7,000 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect jobs to do so. 

The company, the minister stressed, has already set up a base camp with 1,000 housing units to accommodate its future employees and has already hired 250 staff, including 150 Cameroonians. 

According to the minister, with construction of the mineral terminal already underway, which will initially enable the shipment of 14 million tons of iron concentrate and, in a second phase, forty-seven million five hundred thousand tons of ore, there will be even more opportunities for skilled Cameroonian workers and local SMEs.

Minister, Delta Group sign MoU

One of the highpoints of the meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between MINMIDT and Group Delta. 

Minister Fuh Calistus signed the agreement on behalf of the ministry, while the Director of Group Delta, Mohammed Shahzeer, penned the deal for the company. 

Speaking to reporters, Shahzeer revealed that through the MoU, they are committed to support Cameroon’s mining sector. 

He added that through the agreement, youth, and women will be able to get scholarships sponsored by Group Delta to go to India to study and train in mining colleges, so that you can capitalise on the mining sector. 

He also said that such training programmes will also enable them to bring the top minds, geologists to Cameroon to train Cameroonians. He said this move will contribute to “employment and enrichment of the young minds of Cameroon”. 

According to Minister Fuh Calistus, Group Delta will also be contributing to the financing of the construction of the Meyomessala School of Mines, Geology, and Petrochemistry, and setting up an investment fund for the implementation of social projects in the Meyomessala.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3631 of Thursday November 20, 2025