The Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille BASSILEKIN III, officially opened the 6th edition of MSME Day on 29 June 2026 at Hôtel Franco in Yaoundé.
“From Raw Materials to Finished Products: MSMEs at the Heart of Transformation.”
The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel MBAIROBE; Nadine PERRAULT, UNICEF Representative in Cameroon, representing the UN Resident Coordinator; representatives of the European Union Delegation and UNDP; the Director General of LANACOME; as well as government officials, development partners and MSME promoters.
This year’s theme highlights the Government’s commitment to making MSMEs the driving force behind local processing, industrialization and the implementation of Cameroon’s import-substitution policy.
The Minister announced encouraging figures showing a steady increase in the creation of MSMEs operating in the processing sector as of 31 December 2025, reflecting a positive transformation of the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Key priorities include:
strengthening local value chains; increasing manufacturing value added; creating more sustainable jobs; promoting Made in Cameroon products; improving the integration of Cameroonian businesses into regional and continental value chains.United Nations partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting women, youth and persons with disabilities through improved access to technology, markets and financing opportunities.
Beyond the celebration, MSME Day 2026 reinforces Cameroon’s vision of a more industrialized, competitive and value-driven economy.