UNCDF in Cameroon

Mobilizing finance for inclusive and sustainable food systems in Cameroon

UNCDF joined the CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme in Cameroon in March 2026, a United Nations initiative led by the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator.

Funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund and co-financed by participating UN agencies, the programme aims to strengthen Cameroon’s food systems by supporting key agricultural value chains including rice, cassava, eggs, and milk in the Far North, Adamawa, and East regions. Within this partnership, UNCDF focuses on expanding access to finance for cooperatives, agri-MSMEs, and local enterprises. Starting with investment scoping and market assessment, UNCDF will identify investable opportunities and design blended finance solutions that will aim to mobilize private capital and strengthen sustainable, climate-resilient food systems.

Supporting financial inclusion in Cameroon

UNCDF, in partnership with the UNDP Cameroon, is supporting the development of the PARIF (Project to Strengthen Financial Inclusion) through a preparatory phase. This initial stage represents the first concrete step in shaping the intervention and aims to validate its investment architecture that is technically sound and ready to attract financing.

During this phase, scoping missions and market assessments are conducted to better understand the financial ecosystem and to design the right financing mechanism to support microfinance institutions, community-based organizations, startups, and digital payment providers in facilitating financial inclusion of strategic value chains.

Mobilizing private sector investment in sustainable enterprises in the Congo Basin

Pro-Congo is a joint initiative by UNEP and UNCDF, funded by the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), that mobilizes private sector investment in sustainable enterprises across the Congo Basin, covering Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo (RoC), and Gabon.

The initiative seeks to catalyze long-term transformation by integrating nature-based Solutions (NbS) into agriculture, forestry, and energy sectors. Through technical assistance and improved access to capital for MSMEs, Pro-Congo supports micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to adopt sustainable business models that contribute to forest conservation, biodiversity protection, job creation, emission reductions, and inclusive economic growth.

Pro-Congo invites investors, enterprises, and development partners to join forces in unlocking the economic potential of the Congo Basin’s natural capital. Pro-Congo aims to unlock the potential of the Congo’s Basin’s natural capital while safeguarding one of the world’s most critical ecosystems.

Providing advisory support to inform digital finance policies and regulations

With U$10 million from the Gates Foundation and the Government of France, the UNCDF Policy Accelerator is a global initiative providing advisory support to inform digital finance policies and regulations that s strengthens investment conditions and deepen financial sector, in line with national development goals. The programme operates in 18 African countries, including Cameroon,

The Policy Accelerator supports systemic policy interventions in three high-impact domains: Financial sector competition, Digital public infrastructure (DPI), and consumer safeguards. These interventions are designed to attract catalytic capital, strengthen market governance, and build inclusive digital financial ecosystems.

The initiative aims to increase economic agency for individuals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by expanding access to responsibly governed digital financial services. Through policy reforms led by regulators and supported by sector expertise and gender-intentional design, the intervention it focuses on strategic reforms in competition digital public infrastructure, and consumer safeguards to strengthen the financial sector and economic resilience and inclusion.