Célestin Tawamba warns of economic stagnation in Cameroon

The leadership of the Groupement des Entreprises du Cameroun (GECAM) has presented a stark assessment of the current obstacles hindering the nation’s financial progress.

According to the president of GECAM, the economic expansion of Cameroun slowed to 3.1% in 2025, a decrease from the 3.5% recorded in 2024. This downward trend is viewed as a major threat to the country’s 2035 emergence objectives. In a regional context, while Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to grow by 4.5% and the UEMOA zone reaches 6.4%, the Cemac region remains stagnant at 2.6%, even with Cameroun serving as its primary economic engine.

A significant factor in this sluggish performance is the ongoing crisis in the petroleum industry. The hydrocarbons branch saw a contraction of 6.9% in 2025, following a nearly 10% drop the previous year. This confirms a shift in the national landscape: oil can no longer be considered the primary catalyst for growth in Cameroun.

286,000 tonnes

The situation in other sectors is equally concerning. The primary sector’s growth plummeted from 3.6% to just 1.7% within a single year. Specifically, industrial and export-oriented agriculture shifted from a growth of 8.7% in 2024 to a contraction of 3.2% in 2025, a downturn blamed on climate volatility and falling export volumes.

The cotton industry serves as a clear indicator of these difficulties. Production stalled at 286,000 tonnes, failing significantly to meet the established target of 400,000 tonnes. Furthermore, export volumes for cotton dropped by 24%, leading to a nearly 30% collapse in export revenue.

1.7% to 2%

Even traditionally strong sectors are showing signs of vulnerability. While the cocoa season reached a record production of 309,518 tonnes, the actual volume of exports fell by 9%. Total revenue only remained high due to a surge in global market prices. A similar pattern was observed in the coffee sector, where production rose to 11,637 tonnes, but export quantities dipped by 2%.

Simultaneously, Cameroun is becoming increasingly reliant on foreign food sources. Maize imports rose by 4.5%, highlighting a persistent struggle to achieve national food sovereignty. The industrial landscape is also failing to transform the economy, with growth hovering between 1.7% and 2%. Manufacturing industries have slowed from 2.9% to 2.2%, a decline linked to the high cost of electricity, logistical hurdles, limited access to credit, and a general lack of productivity in the local industrial apparatus.