Cameroon votes for its future

EWIA is active in Cameroon, the second strongest economy in Central Africa, and is electrifying entire villages. Currently, the entire country is eagerly awaiting the outcome of last Sunday's presidential elections. Where is the country headed, and what role does its youth play? And why is Cameroon—despite everything—an important location for EWIA and a guarantee of growth in sub-Saharan Africa?

During our tour in the summer, we got the impression that there was a certain tension in the air weeks before the election. Due to its colonial history, Cameroon is divided into two regions: a French-speaking part and an English-speaking part. Dozens of ethnic groups populate the country, which also has a Muslim-dominated north and a Christian south. The jihadists of Boko Haram, who plague Nigeria, are also present in the north. And then there is a generational divide. The median age of the population is only 18. The nomenklatura is considerably older.

Cameroon, known as “Africa in miniature,” is nominally a democracy. Elections are held regularly. But for 43 years, the winner of the presidential elections has always been Paul Biya. The majority of the country's citizens have never seen a president other than the 92-year-old, the longest-serving elected head of state on the planet – and even the fewest crowned heads can keep up with him. Last Sunday, he ran again, for the eighth time, as around 6.8 million Cameroonians flocked to the polls (8 million of the 30 million inhabitants were registered). Paul Biya had to be in the country for this. This is worth mentioning because he spends most of the year in Switzerland for health reasons – which has led to speculation about his death on several occasions. And raising the issue of his age or health is punishable by imprisonment. Even though he probably no longer performs his official duties himself, he has never groomed an official successor.

Depending on your perspective, Biya stands for stability or stagnation in a country where journalists have been killed and numerous elections are considered rigged.

Emancipation from the father figure or more of the same?

Cameroon is only a democracy in name. Maurice Kamto, the most popular opposition candidate, had been excluded from the election in advance. He had already claimed victory in 2018 and was subsequently arrested.

Official results of the 2025 election are not yet available and are not expected for another two weeks or so. However, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who comes from the north of the country and was still Minister of Labor and a particularly zealous supporter of Biya in June before surprisingly turning into his challenger, has already declared himself the winner of the election, which the authorities have prohibited under threat of arrest. His story is breathtaking and full of twists and turns, as he is said to have been involved in a coup against Biya in 1984, which landed him in prison for six years. After that, he served in his governments for 20 years, primarily as Minister of Transport and Communications – allegedly without ever having seen the long-time president in person, according to The Guardian. In June, he distanced himself from Biya and the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) party, accusing them of massive mismanagement and waste of resources and the military of excessive violence, before standing as a candidate for the Cameroon National Salvation Front (FSNC).

Bakary warned of unrest and threatened to bring his supporters onto the streets if the result was not respected. If his election victory is confirmed, Cameroon will have a new head of state, but will remain a gerontocracy, as the “youngster” Tchiroma Bakary is already 79 years old.

Young people are excluded from co-determination – for now

Whatever the outcome of the election, the ratio of voters to the total population alone reveals a lot about the true balance of power. Only 26.7% of the population is eligible to vote (in the English-speaking part, a militia prevented the vote), so over 73% are younger than 20, which is the minimum voting age in the country. 22.7% actually voted on their future and that of young people, who make up the largest group and are excluded from political participation due to the voting age. That is why there are efforts (Vote 18) on the part of young people, who are liable for tax, allowed to marry, etc., but are not yet allowed to vote at 20, to lower the voting age to 18. If that were to happen, two million voters would be added at a stroke.

In May, Ange Ngandjo, a 35-year-old bank advisor, summed it up for Africa Briefing. “He (Biya) has given what he could. Our generation, well-educated and competent, also wants to help build this country.” And the young man is still lucky, because youth unemployment stands at around 74 percent in Cameroon. There are far too few jobs, even for university graduates. The general prosperity, which is mainly due to oil, is unevenly distributed.

That is precisely why it is so important to us to bring affordable solar power to villages so that residents can run businesses and become financially independent.

Whatever the outcome of the elections, young people are insisting on their rights. Take Adeline Tsopgni, for example. She is 25 and wants to run for a seat in the 2026 parliamentary elections. She was often the first: first class representative, later at university, where she studied law and political science, first president of the debating club. She also led strikes because the power went out so often at the university. In the long term, Tsopgni wants to become the country's first female president. “But we must now ensure that a new political generation emerges. A generation that stands for transparency, that is incorruptible, young, and female,” she told Die Zeit in August, having already been arrested.

Why EWIA is optimistic

Cameroon is at a crossroads. The next few days and weeks will show who has won the election. All observers, and especially the citizens, agree that something has to change in this resource-rich—and corrupt—country. We hope that the situation will remain peaceful and that young people will have more influence and opportunities after the election. No unrest is expected in the regions where EWIA operates.

Despite the political situation, it should not be forgotten that economic development, at least, is moving in one direction: in 2024, Cameroon recorded growth of 3.5%, and according to the World Bank, the medium-term outlook is moderately positive, with expected average real GDP growth of 3.9% between 2025 and 2028.

This is precisely where our Cameroon campaign comes in:

Through the acquisition of SunErgy, EWIA has obtained a long-term license to electrify up to 92 rural communities, which corresponds to a potential impact on over 600,000 people. As a first step, we are revitalizing four existing mini-grid locations with state-of-the-art technology and preparing for the rollout of new solar projects. Schools, health centers, businesses, and private households are to be supplied with reliable solar power. Decentralized, sustainable, and economically viable.

For investors, this means:

An investment in scalable infrastructure with impact, potential, and resilient local structures—in a country that is currently still underestimated but is on the verge of an energy policy turning point.

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