The main sectors of the economy

Trade and services: the largest number of businesses

According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), trade and services account for the large majority of enterprises registered in Cameroon, with commerce alone the biggest single component. This sector is regulated by the Ministry of Trade.

Agro-industry: the long-standing export crops

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) oversees the country's major export value chains — cocoa, coffee, cotton, rubber, oil palm — as well as rural development. Camerpedia publishes each year's commercialized cocoa production as announced by the Ministry of Trade.

Energy: hydropower on the rise

The energy sector, overseen by the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy (MINEE), relies mainly on hydropower. The commissioning of the Nachtigal dam, with a capacity of 420 megawatts, has recently increased national power-generating capacity.

Telecommunications, mining and construction

Three mobile network operators (MTN, Orange, Nexttel) operate alongside incumbent operator Camtel, regulated by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and the National Information and Communication Technologies Agency (ANTIC). The mining sector, still nascent, is developing around projects such as Minim-Martap (bauxite) and Grand Zambi (iron ore), overseen by the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development. Construction and public works are driven by donor-financed infrastructure programmes.

Banking, insurance and transport

Cameroonian banks are supervised by the Central African Banking Commission (COBAC), a body of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) common to the six CEMAC countries; insurance falls under the Ministry of Finance. Transport and logistics fall under the Ministry of Transport and, for infrastructure, the Ministry of Public Works. Camerpedia details each of these sectors, with their companies and projects, on the Companies hub pages.