Cameroonian analyst Alex Nguepi argues that ethnic division distracts from real economic challenges

“Those who invest their money in building homes, factories, businesses, and enterprises owe no explanations to those who chose to remain spectators,” Nguepi asserts in his latest commentary.

“The Bamileke people should not have to justify owning property or businesses in Douala, Yaoundé, or anywhere else in Cameroon. This nation belongs to all Cameroonians—no single tribe or community can claim ownership.”

Major cities like Douala and Yaoundé weren’t built by one ethnic group alone. Their growth stems from taxes, hard work, and sacrifices made by millions of Cameroonians from across the country. Citizenship isn’t exclusive to any one group.

The hard truth many avoid is clear: the Bamileke have cultivated a culture of savings, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation. While some consume, others invest. While some spend, others build. While some make excuses for their stagnation, others work tirelessly to secure a better future for their children.

The dreams of young people in the West Region extend beyond inheriting family homes. They envision constructing their own houses, launching businesses, and leaving lasting legacies. That’s why they purchase land, erect buildings, open shops, and generate employment wherever opportunities arise.

It’s absurd to politicize economic success. Investors shouldn’t be forced to justify their achievements to critics who’ve taken no action. The true scandal isn’t Cameroonians thriving across the nation—it’s leaders clinging to power resorting to ethnic division to mask their economic failures.

When unemployment rises, poverty spreads, and opportunities dwindle, purveyors of division fall back on familiar tactics: ethnicity, autochthony, and discord. These are the tools of regimes in their final days, offering no real solutions.

Cameroon doesn’t need tribalists—it needs builders. It needs citizens who invest, create businesses, pay taxes, generate jobs, and contribute to national prosperity. A nation progresses through entrepreneurs, farmers, industrialists, traders, and workers—not through hate speech, envy, or stigmatization.

Let every Cameroonian build, invest, and create wealth. That’s how this nation will advance.

The future belongs to builders. Those sowing division? History will relegate them to the dustbin.

—Alex Nguepi