Prioritizing Pillars of Emergence

The year 2035 is expected to be a magic year for Cameroon. By that time, the country’s economy must have experienced considerable growth possessing some, but not all characteristics of a developed economy. Cameroon will at that time be seen as a country that is transitioning from the developing to the developed phase. That in essence is the dream of the President of the Republic when he decided on emergence in the country. The National Development Strategy 2020-2030 recently launched to replace the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP) is one of the greatest lubricants President Biya singles out that has the potential of inching Cameroon closer to the dream. This, he didn’t fail to talk about it in his end-of-year address to the nation on December, 31, 2020. “The National Development Strategy defines the main thrusts of our planning up to 2030. The document draws lessons from past experiences and sets new goals for the next decade, notably the structural transformation of our economy and inclusive development.” 

This is a strategy that is coming to replace one that has just ended with results that appear to be difficult to measure apparently because it did not fully meet its defined objective. That explains why it will be necessary to work in such a way as to avoid falling into past pitfalls and rather draw experiences from where things went right.   From every indication, the new strategy looks like a trump card that must not be managed carelessly. Its major goal as stated inter alia by the Head of State in his speech is the “structural transformation of our economy and inclusive development.” For this to be fully achieved, the President says there will be need to “step up the fight against poverty, unemployment and the lingering informal sector.” It will also be necessary, he says, “to strive to achieve an 8% growth rate by embarking on the  structural transformation of our economy and enhancing the effectiveness of public spending.” The National Development Strategy 2020-2030 is expected to serve as the main locomotive considering that other development policies will continue to be implemented as defined. 

But what are the real factors that will make Cameroon an emerging nation? Essentially, it will be its ability to have created an ...