Economy

To boost rural entrepreneurship: SMEs ministry, CAPEF partner to create business incubator at Ambam wood school.

by Mercy Fosoh
30 Jul 2026 11:21
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R-L: Minister Bassilekin III & CAPEF President brandishing signed agreement

The Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, MINPMEESA, and the Cameroon Chamber of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Forestry, CAPEF, have signed a partnership agreement to launch incubation activities at the Business Lab at the Practical School of Agriculture and Wood of Ambam, EPABA.

The agreement was inked recently in Yaounde by SMEs minister, Achille Bassilekin III, and the President of CAPEF, Martin Paul Mindjos Momeny.

According to information provided by CAPEF and MINPMEESA, the partnership is designed to establish an incubation mechanism that will support learners, project promoters, cooperatives and SMEs in developing business ideas, creating enterprises and expanding their activities.

Under the terms of the agreement, MINPMEESA will provide technical support to the incubator, oversee the monitoring and evaluation of incubated projects, and ensure that training modules comply with national standards governing incubation structures.

CAPEF, for its part, will make available its training infrastructure, technical expertise and network of partners to support the operation of the incubator and the supervision of beneficiaries. It emerged from the signing that the partnership is also expected to facilitate the formal recognition of EPABA as an accredited incubation structure.

Speaking during the ceremony, Minister Achille Bassilekin III indicated that the agreement would help complete the institution’s formalisation process while enabling students and aspiring entrepreneurs to transform business ideas into viable enterprises capable of creating jobs and value.

The minister also noted the importance of developing specialised incubators adapted to the realities of different sectors. According to MINPMEESA, particular emphasis was placed on the wood industry, which authorities consider a strategic sector for local processing and the enhancement of forest resources in line with national industrial development objectives.

For CAPEF, the agreement is an important step in the development of the institution’s network of practical schools. According to the chamber, the partnership also aims to encourage the creation of innovative and sustainable businesses, develop agricultural, forestry and agro-processing value chains, promote local wood transformation and generate employment opportunities for young Cameroonians.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3861 of Tuesday July 28, 2026