Citing the Cameroonian government's initiatives focused on "developing national value chains," the pan-African financial institution lists projects such as "the restructuring of the Cameroon Aluminum Company and an  investment to sextuple the cotton processing capacity of the Cotonnière Industrielle du Cameroun (Cicam) by 2030.These initiatives are part of the government's strategy to develop national value chains and promote economic growth in Cameroon. The African Development Bank (AfDB) report highlights these projects as key examples of the country's efforts to boost its economy .Cicam has gradually lost ground. According to official data, this state-owned company now controls barely 5% of the local cotton-textile-garment market, down from around 80% in the past. The gradual decline of Cicam's activities is officially attributed to the influx of cheap Chinese and West African textiles and clothing   often smuggled into the country and the explosion of the second-hand clothing market.The 2030 horizon mentioned in the latest country report from this financial institution suggests that this investment will be made within the framework of the National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (SND30) developed by the Cameroonian government. This new reference framework for Cameroon's development policy, which aims to structurally transform the national economy, plans to increase the production of the Cotton Development Company (Sodecoton) to 600,000 tons per year from around 350,000 tons currently -and to locally process 50% of this production by 2030. Achieving this cotton processing objective, however, requires the development of a manufacturing industry for uniforms and other clothing.This industry, according to government projections, will initially supply uniforms and clothing equipment incorporating at least 60% Cameroonian cotton to the state's major corps . Subsequently, it will produce sportswear to meet at least 50% of the national demand, as outlined by public authorities in the SND30. Notably, the planned investment of 70.2 billion FCFA by the Cameroonian government in Cicam far exceeds the restructuring cost planed at 40 billion FCFA.

CK