The mobilization of domestic and diaspora savings as a powerful engine for national growth took center stage this Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Yaounde.
The Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, officially opened a high-level conference held alongside the presentation of the DIASDEV (Diaspora and Development) project. Headed by the Deposit and Consignment Fund of Cameroon (CDEC), this initiative marks a strategic shift toward channeling private wealth into structural public investments.
At the heart of the DIASDEV project is the conceptualization of a regulated savings product specifically tailored for both Cameroonians living abroad and domestic residents. The primary objective is to cultivate a secure, long-term savings pool capable of fueling critical sectors of the Cameroonian economy. By offering a structured and guaranteed financial instrument, the CDEC aims to transform volatile financial flows into stable investment capital.
The stakes are remarkably high. In 2024, remittance inflows from the Cameroonian diaspora neared 1.2 billion USD, representing roughly 652 billion FCFA. Historically used primarily for immediate family consumption, the ambition now is to reorient a significant portion of these funds toward productive investments that actively generate growth and sustainable local employment.
This milestone event brought together financial experts and executives from various Deposit and Consignment Funds across Africa and Europe. The platform facilitates the exchange of successful international frameworks and best practices in development-oriented savings mobilization. Ultimately, this forward-looking initiative strengthens Cameroon’s innovative financing mechanisms and accelerates its long-term economic transformation.
