Cameroon Academy of Sciences Week: Scientists mobilise to boost country's import-substitution drive.

Discussions to this effect are the essence of the third edition of the 2025 CAS Week of Science in the service of National Development. It opened in Yaounde Tuesday, July 29, and ended July 31 with the reading of the general report.

The ceremony is holding under the theme: “Effective and Efficient Implementation of the Import-Substitution Policy: Leveraging Science, Technology and Innovation to Overcome Challenges and Accelerate the Process”.

The Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo, representative of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, presided the opening. 

Participants include scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, and sector experts. They are identifying the challenges hindering the implementation of the government’s import-substitution strategy and to formulate sustainable, science-driven solutions that will bring about the needed change.

According to organisers, the event comes amidst renewed government efforts to reduce reliance on imports and stimulate local production. It aims to bridge the often-observed gap between policy formulation and policy implementation in the country.

For three days, experts from the various domains will exchange on key areas including agriculture, livestock and fisheries, manufacturing, ICT, health and pharmaceuticals, energy, and construction.

Sessions will also examine security challenges such as counterfeiting, market access, production standards, and the role of SMEs in value chain development.

The President of CAS who doubles as Chair of African Scientific Research and Innovation Council of African Union, Prof Beban Sammy Chumbow, stated that from the presentations, it is clear that import substitution is the key for the future development of Cameroon.

He regretted that the greatest problem that Cameroon has is that there is no commitment to it from all and this has been demonstrated. He noted that CAS believes that science, technology and innovation can play a pivotal role in reversing this trend. 

During the CAS Week 2024, he stated, interdisciplinary working groups will be formed to tackle sector-specific challenges in implementing the import-substitution policy. 

The teams, comprising scientists and technical experts from various ministries and industries, will conduct research, analyse current barriers, and develop practical recommendations to fast-track implementation. He noted that like in the domain of wheat production, the country losses much in wood. 

“The scientists have put together a plan to ensure that the wood industry becomes one of our best sources of income,” he disclosed.

Enter Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo

In his address, Prof Fame Ndongo noted that in an increasingly interconnected and competitive world, there is need to seek how to shape and secure the future, “defend ourselves from external shocks and tailor ourselves to our own aspirations”.

This, he said, is possible not in dependency, but in scientific advancement directed towards strategic import substitution and home-grown innovations.

“We have long relied on important technologies, manufactured goods, and scientific tools. While these have served us, they have also left us weak, helpless, and vulnerable to currency fluctuations, to trade imbalances, and to external priorities that do not match our own,” he said. 

He equally used the opportunity to call on the scientists to ensure that decisions taken will help the National Development Strategy put in place by the Head of State.

NAS president salutes initiative

The President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, NAS, Prof Musbau Adewumi Akanji, on his part, saluted the collaboration between CAS and NAS in the various domains. 

“There is need for backward integration, using science and technology to develop the economy of our nations across Africa. It's not only in Cameroon, but across Africa, and I think CAS has started on a very good note. We hope that the resolutions from this conference will be taken up by policy makers,” he Prof Musbau said.

It should be noted that Cameroon’s import-substitution policy aligns with the Head of State’s call to “consume what we produce and produce what we consume” and seeks to re-energise the economy and improve citizens’ standards of living. 

It is part of the country’s National Development Strategy 2020-2030, NDS30, which aspires to push the country into an emerging economy by 2035.

Despite Cameroon’s significant agricultural and natural resource potential, the nation remains heavily dependent on imported goods. 

According to the National Institute of Statistics, the country’s trade deficit stood at 1,409 billion FCFA in 2020 and worsened to 1,478 billion FCFA in 2021. 

A low rate of transformation and an underdeveloped industrial sector have been identified as major contributors to this deficit.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3520 of Thursday July 31, 2025