The Entrepreneur - Cameroon's Premier Economic & Business Journal

International effort to speed the action on Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, CAADP agenda

The following draft statement was issued after a meeting of African Ministers of Agriculture and development partners on “partnership for advancing African agriculture”. The meeting, held in Washington DC on 11 October 2008, was organised by the African Union Commission and USAID.

With the adoption of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) as part of NEPAD, the member states of the African Union have recognised the significant contribution of agriculture to growth and poverty-reduction strategies.

Gunmen threaten to kill French hostages in Cameroon

By Tansa Musa

Gunmen in speedboats seized 10 mostly French crew members in an attack on an oil vessel off Cameroon on Friday and threatened to kill them "one by one" if the Cameroonian government did not meet their demands. A spokeswoman for oil services Bourbon said the 10 kidnapped workers were among 15 employees on board the vessel "Bourbon Sagitta," contracted by French oil major Total, when it was attacked early on Friday, October 31, 2008.

Sakerettes Annual General Assembly: Schooled on Business and Entrepreneurship

“It is not enough for Parents to spend 150.000F CFA in Kindergarten, 400.000F CFA in prestigious Schools like Saker, or 20m F CFA in Harvard to educate their Children. Knowledge and skills can also be acquired through short courses, seminars, books and by associating with like-minded people” said Dr Ernest Molua, Entrepreneur, Economist and Lecturer at the University of Buea, Cameroon. He was addressing ex-students of Saker Baptist College during their Annual General Assembly in Douala on October 18, 2008.

Irene Zih Fon (The Entrepreneur, Douala Bureau Chief)

In a presentation titled: “Business Management and Entrepreneurship”, Dr Molua told ex-students of the all-female College located in Limbe, that it is important for mothers not to suppress the talents of those in their households, such as music, fashion designing, football, dancing or writing. He said business has been regarded along the years as an option for dropouts, as young people were expected to grow up and work in an office. “On the contrary,” he continued “there is no shame in business, and such talents have advanced great economies like the United States.”

Obama is Right to "spread the wealth around"

Trickle - down economics still the best way forward

By Laila Mancharia

Poor Obama. In the last US presidential debate, we learnt of “Joe the plumber” who after many years, had finally managed to purchase the business he worked for. Obama had mentioned to Joe that if elected president, he would “spread the wealth around”. McCain, Obama’s opponent, honed in on this, implying that socialist-leaning Obama would take wealth from Joe to give to others. This notion of retrogressive redistribution understandably caused alarm.

State Property and Land Tenure in Cameroon: How To Legally Acquire Government Land

Illegal settlement on government land has been a major issue in most major towns in Cameroon, especially particular localities in Douala such as New Bell, Nkolmodo, Camp Yabassi and Ngange. The Minister incharge of State Property and Land Tenure, Pascal Anong Adi Bime, during a field visit urged those living in these areas to regularize their status in accordance with state regulations to become legal. The modalities are equally to be followed by those who are not on government land, but wish to acquire it for investment.

By Irene Zih Fon in Douala

These four neighbourhoods are some of the most highly populated in Douala, with the majority of occupants living in very unhealthy conditions and poverty striken. The circumstances under which they acquired the land on which they have lived over the years, has nothing to do with a ‘legal’ procedure. Some did not even know they were about to settle on government land, until when government agents started coming. So they do not have land titles, which is the only recognized proof the authorities need to see to be sure an occupant is legal.

Kumba: Désordre administratif, Le préfet convoqué au tribunal

Après la nomination d’un secrétaire général à la communauté urbaine de Kumba récemment créée, le préfet Abath Zangbwala et les maires sont à couteau tiré sur la gestion des municipalités.

par Pierre-Alexis Kaptchouang

« Fracture coronaire de l’incisive centrale de maxillaire côté gauche, traumatisme alvéolaire de trois incisives, oedèmes labiales…, fracture fermée du corps de la maxillaire… ». C’est le diagnostique que ressort le certificat médical délivré par le médecin de l’hôpital de district de Kumba, Dr. Binoute Louis, qui a reçu et examiné, le 14 octobre dernier, Okanda Moses employé à Goodwill ventures, victime d’une agression cette matinée au environ de 10 hrs ».

Muyuka: le premier ministre Thomas Ephraim Inoni se prononce sur l’attaque de Limbe

Faisant le point sur les mesures prises par son gouvernement pour la sécurisation des villes cotières du pays, le premier ministre est revenu sur les grands projets de Bakassi et de Limbe.

par Pierre-Alexis Kaptchouang

Deux semaines après le spectaculaire braquage de Limbe, qui avait fait un mort, des bléssés graves par balles et trois banques pillées et la préfecture de Limbe vandalisée, tout ceci sous le regard impuissant des forces de l’ordre, le premier ministre Ephraim Inoni est revenu à la charge pour annoncer les mésures prises par son gouvernement depuis l’attaque des assaillants restés jusqu’ici inconnus. C’était à la faveur de la conférence conjointe des cinq sections RDPC du département du Fako qui s’est ténue à Muyuka samedi dernier avec la présence de plusieurs membres du gouvernement dont les ministre Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Clobert Tchatat, Etoundi Ngoa, et le chancelier de l’ordre national Peter Mafany Musongue.

Fako: La sortie du premier ministre Thomas Ephraim Inoni met à nu les malaises au sein des sections

Alors que l’on s’attendait à une mobilisation tout azimut, certains responsables des sections et une bonne faction de militants ont préféré bouder pour exprimer leur mécontentement.

par Pierre-Alexis Kaptchouang

Selon des informations concordantes, la rencontre de Muyuka, qui aurait été initiée des mains de maitre par Dorothy L. Njeuma, recteur de l’Université de Yaoundé I, membre du bureau politique du RDPC et militante de base de la section RDPC du Fako III, visait à faire le record de mobilisation dans cette ville de Muyuka jadis connue comme étant le bastion du principal parti de l’opposition, le SDF. Et pour le faire, sur initiative de la présidente de l’organisation Dorothy Njeuma, au moins 15.000 militants y étaient attendus, soit au moins 100 par sous-section comme recommandé dans le Fako III.

Buea: Les enseignants réclament leur ”statut particulier”

Un besoin que le délégué provincial de l’éducation de Base pour le sud-ouest a qualifié de nécéssité urgente, lors de la célébration de la journée des enseignants.

par Pierre-Alexis Kaptchouang

Les enseignants de la provinces du Sud-ouest se sont joints au reste du monde pour célébrer le 05 Octobre, journée reservée par la communauté internationale pour rendre hommage aux ”batisseurs des nations”. Une célébration qui s’est déroulée à Buea, pendant une semaine d’intenses acivités, allant des conférences – débats sur le thème de la célébration portant sur ”les droits et obligations de l’enseignant pour une éducation de qualité”, aux activités sportives. C’est par une mobilisation à la place des fêtes de Buea qu’ils ont tenu à marquer l’apothéose de cette célébration.

COMESA-NEPAD setting up regional fisheries and aquaculture strategy

By Sloans Chimatiro (NEPAD advisor on fisheries and strategic knowledge management)

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) launched a process to develop a regional fisheries and aquaculture strategy in line with NEPAD's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) at a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on 2-3 September 2008. In the COMESA region, harvest from capture fisheries rose steadily throughout the 1980s and 1990s but has stagnated since then, reaching about 2.2 million tonnes in 2003. Aquaculture on the other hand has risen but totalling only about 475,000 tonnes in the region, of which Egypt alone contributed 445,000 tonnes in 2003.