Five hundred students from five private higher education institutions have received start-up kits and labour-saving equipment under the fifth cohort of the "One Youth, One Market-Oriented Banana Plantain Plantation, One Future" programme. Each participant was also allocated 500 high-yield tissue culture plantlets, a total of 250,000 seedlings. This, as authorities seek to strengthen youth entrepreneurship and expand Cameroon's plantain value chain.
The equipment was handed over on June 3, in Yaoundé by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbaïrobé. Following the distribution, the students departed for Kribi to begin a one-week immersion programme at the Banana Plantain Value Chain Incubator, where they will receive practical training on industrial production techniques and value-chain operations.
The initiative is expected to generate a minimum cumulative turnover of CFA 855 million within 11 months of planting, according to projections by the National Association of Actors in the Banana Plantain Value Chain of Cameroon (FBPC), which is promoting the programme. The programme combines agricultural production with entrepreneurship training, enabling students to develop commercial plantations while continuing their academic studies.
Plantains account for 16 per cent of farmers' income and 4.3 per cent of Cameroon's agricultural GDP, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Annual output is estimated at more than six million tonnes, and the government has set a target of 10 million tonnes by 2030. Cameroon also ranks among the highest plantain-consuming nations globally, with per capita consumption estimated at 181 kilogrammes per person per year.
Organisers say the project is designed to move beyond primary production by supporting the industrialisation of the plantain sector. The strategy includes the establishment of small-scale processing units on participating campuses to convert plantains into higher-value products such as chips and flour. The approach aims to increase value addition within the sector while creating new income streams for students and educational institutions.
According to FBPC President Samuel Tony Obam Bikoué, the programme allows students to engage in revenue-generating activities before completing their studies. The initiative also presents an economic opportunity for participating institutions. Beyond training students, the schools can utilise available land for commercial cultivation projects managed by learners, potentially improving cash flow and increasing the productivity of institutional assets.
According to authorities, the programme is part of a broader five-year plan targeting the incubation of 10,000 students across the banana plantain value chain and the creation of 10,000 businesses. The objective is to develop a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs capable of contributing to domestic production, processing and market supply.
Mercy Fosoh