Douala: Chamber of commerce equips 47 youths with entrepreneurial skills.

The programme aims to ensure that the youth turn vacation time into an opportunity for learning and creativity.

The training programme ended on Thursday, August 20, 2026, with an attestation award ceremony held at a centre located in Bwadibo, Dibombari Subdivision in the Moungo Division of the Littoral Region.

Speaking at the ceremony, CCIMA President, Hon Christopher Eken, said the initiative was created 2010.

He explained that the initiative was conceived to provide young people with useful activities during the holidays while introducing them to the world of business and industry from an early age.

As at now, he said, the programme has grown significantly since its first edition, moving from about 15 participants to 47 young trainees in its fourth edition.

“The Chamber of Commerce asked itself why it should not also take care of young people during the holidays and make their vacation useful,” he said

The CCIMA president said the programme goes beyond classroom instruction, exposing participants to the different stages of agricultural production and value addition.

Hon Eken expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, the Ministry of Finance and other partners for their contribution to the initiative.

He also commended private-sector partners, including local businesses and media organisations, for supporting the programme and providing the young participants with opportunities for practical exposure.

The CCIMA President has challenged the graduates to use the skills acquired as a foundation for their future, regardless of their eventual professions.

“You are the responsible entrepreneurs of tomorrow,” he told the participants, urging them to continue dreaming, innovating and transforming ideas into opportunities.

As CCIMA sought to create opportunities for young entrepreneurs to move from skills acquisition to actual business creation, the President revealed that financing remains one of the major challenges confronting young entrepreneurs.

He disclosed that the Chamber is working with relevant government institutions and financial partners to facilitate access to funding for emerging businesses. 

He said that, on the morning of the ceremony, he had signed letters supporting eight businesses that are being accompanied through a microfinance mechanism.

The Chamber, he said, is also working on a partnership with an international association to strengthen the CIP's infrastructure, including the development of boarding facilities and additional spaces required to expand its activities.

During their training phase, the youths were introduced to food processing, hygiene, production techniques, packaging, marketing and the agricultural value chain. 

They also learnt how local products such as cassava, potatoes and fruits can be transformed into commercially viable products. Practical sessions included the production of pancakes using flour, fruit jam and compote, pepper processing and poultry smoking, among others.

The participants also visited businesses and production facilities, including a bakery and other partner enterprises, to gain first-hand knowledge of the professional environment.

The programme is structured around four levels, namely discovering the industrial world, initiating participants into transformation techniques, immersing them in the professional environment and ultimately preparing them to develop their own business projects.

The training also sought to develop soft skills, including responsibility, discipline, teamwork, creativity and self-confidence.

The Director of the CIP, in his remarks, stressed that the objective was not necessarily to make the children agricultural entrepreneurs immediately, but to give them additional knowledge and practical experience that could benefit them regardless of the careers they eventually choose.

He urged the participants to preserve and build on the knowledge acquired, noting that practical skills and additional knowledge can distinguish a young person from others in a competitive professional environment.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3891 of Thursday August 27, 2026