On September 9, 2020, André-Magnus Ekoumou (photo), Cameroon’s ambassador to France, announced the creation of an office that will provide support to the diaspora willing to invest in Cameroon.
The release published by the official in that regard does not explain the type of support the bureau will provide but this initiative will likely boost the diaspora’s involvement in the development of Cameroon.
According to a development finance assessment funded by the UNDP, the Cameroonian diaspora’s involvement in the development of their country is still very low compared with the level in countries at the same development level.
“The low involvement of the Cameroonian diaspora in the country’s development, therefore, deserves to be addressed by in-depth studies ranging from the evaluation (even if it is approximate) of its savings potential to the search for specific instruments that can encourage Cameroonians living abroad to invest more in their country of origin,” the study suggested.
