On September 23, 2025, in Yaoundé, a major ceremony marked the transfer of 300 junior enterprises to the Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (APME), under the joint chairmanship of: Achille Bassilekin III, Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts (MINPMEESA), and Mounouna Foutsou, Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education.
For Minister Achille Bassilekin III, this move is part of the broader agenda to structurally transform the national economy, with a clear objective: supporting the growth and sustainability of youth-led entrepreneurial initiatives, which are key drivers of the import-substitution policy.
He emphasized that APME has more than 250 experts, a comprehensive support services catalogue, and a high-performance support system capable of scaling up these young enterprises. A firm commitment to ensuring that this cohort is a total success.
According to Henri Biheng, National Coordinator of the Support Program for Rural and Urban Youth (PAJER-U), out of the 300 junior enterprises transferred, 242 are led by men and 58 by women, with agriculture accounting for 62% of the women-led projects.
For his part, Minister Mounouna Foutsou congratulated the young entrepreneurs, highlighting that their projects are the result of personal effort but also of the customized support framework set up by MINJEC, strengthened by Axis 2 of the Special Youth Triennial Plan of the Head of State, H.E. Paul Biya.
“You are the Indomitable Lions of Entrepreneurship 2025!” he declared, encouraging them to bring their fighting spirit to win their Entrepreneurship Champions League, now under the guidance of APME.
Ultimately, this event marks a strategic milestone in the promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Cameroon. With the support of MINPMEESA and APME, these 300 young entrepreneurs will benefit from enhanced guidance and support, driving growth and sustainable economic impact.