Yaoundé, Cameroon – The African Development Bank (AfDB) held a meeting to discuss the achievements of its program aimed at bolstering youth employability in Cameroon. The program offers young graduates one-year work placements on Bank-funded projects, providing valuable professional experience.
Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, the Bank’s Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, highlighted the program’s success. Over 280 young people have already participated, with many transitioning into permanent positions within the public, private, or donor-funded sectors.
Dieudonné Toukea, a program beneficiary, spoke of her experience, crediting the program with launching her career in consultancy. Participants expressed a desire for further support, including a dedicated entrepreneurship fund and a networking platform for alumni.
Akin-Olugbade acknowledged these requests and emphasized the Bank’s broader commitment to youth and women. She pointed to initiatives like AFAWA (Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa), which partners with banks to ease access to credit for female entrepreneurs.
“We offer guarantees to commercial banks so they can lend to female entrepreneurs,” Akin-Olugbade stated, dispelling myths about risk and repayment.