Gov’t launches programme to train 100 SMEs in standards & certification.

The programme forms part of the Operation to Support the Cameroonian Private Sector Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic, which seeks to assist Very Small Enterprises, VSEs, Small Enterprises, SEs, artisans and legally registered cooperatives.

According to a press release signed by the national coordinator of the project, Prof Christian Arnault Emini, the initiative will select 100 beneficiaries for specialised training and support in meeting national and international quality standards.

The official document notes that eligible businesses must operate in the Littoral, Centre and West Regions, as well as in economically affected areas including the Far North, North West and South West Regions. 

The programme, the document reveals, aims to equip enterprises with the tools needed to improve both the quality and quantity of their products so they can better compete in organised markets.

Authorities stated that the support focuses on bringing local products into compliance with recognised standards and certification requirements. 

The process is designed to strengthen the competitiveness of Cameroonian goods and facilitate their entry into more structured commercial circuits. 

Officials also emphasised the need to provide SMEs with technical capacity so they can expand production while maintaining quality requirements.

MINEPAT is implementing the initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts and the United Nations Development Programme. 

The partners are responsible for selecting the eligible companies that will receive assistance under the programme.

Technical evaluation and certification will involve several specialised institutions. The national standards and quality agency will issue certificates of conformity for approved products, while the National Laboratory for Drug Quality Control and Expertise will conduct product analyses where required.

According to reports, the project was created to coordinate funding provided by the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa to help strengthen the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises affected by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

By the end of 2025, some beneficiaries had already received production equipment and financing through commercial banks.

Interested enterprises and cooperatives are invited to submit their applications online through the OSSP-CMR digital platform by Sunday, March 22, 2026, by completing the designated form.

This article article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3734 of Tuesday March 17, 2026