Message of the CNYC President to Cameroonian Youths for Peace and Unity – 2025 Elections

Dear brothers and sisters of Cameroon,

In a few days, our nation will once again demonstrate its democratic maturity as we, citizens, head to the polls to elect the next President of our country. This is not merely a political event, but a decisive moment in our collective history a time for unity, peace, and civic responsibility. For us, the youth, who represent more than 65% of the population, this election is an opportunity to prove that we are not bystanders to our nation’s story, but its true authors and guardians.

As your sister and leader, I come before you today to call on each of us, young men and women of this nation, to stand together as one. Our strength lies in our unity and in our shared love for peace and progress. We must also face our challenges together, with honesty and courage. As we prepare to play our role in this defining moment, it is equally important to recognize the realities confronting our generation. Despite the many challenges facing young people in Cameroon, concrete solutions are being implemented to address these difficulties. Across the country, renewed initiatives are expanding employment opportunities, fostering innovation to reduce youth unemployment, and promoting socio-economic inclusion through entrepreneurship and self-employment.

Education and vocational training are being reoriented to meet labor market needs, with particular emphasis on key sectors such as agriculture, crafts, and new areas like digital technology — and by broader national programs such as the Three-Year Special Youth Plan, and the National Program for Moral, Civic and Entrepreneurial Rearmament (PRONEC REARMORCE), which continue to strengthen youth participation, civic engagement, and leadership. Youth support structures, including training centers and business incubators, are being reinforced, while new financial mechanisms including the restructuring of the National Employment Fund are being designed to finance youth-led projects and start-ups.

These national programs complement the initiatives undertaken by the youth themselves. In this spirit, we at the Cameroon National Youth Council (CNYC) have also taken proactive steps to strengthen these national efforts. Earlier this year, we convened the Cameroonian Youth Dialogue Platform, which brought together young people, youth leaders, civil society, and policymakers to identify key challenges and propose practical solutions. Building on the outcomes of that dialogue, and with the support of our partners, we launched the CNJCJobHub a digital platform designed to connect young people directly to opportunities for employment, training, and entrepreneurship. The JobHub not only centralizes job offers and internships but also provides mentoring, business incubation, and professional development guidance, helping bridge the gap between young talent and available opportunities.

In the same spirit of engagement, we also co-organized the WYLEF for Peace Program, held in September 2025, which brought together youth from across Cameroon, Africa, and the Arab world to promote peace, innovation, and transformative leadership. We, the youth of Cameroon, have worked together to shape our nation’s policies so they reflect our realities, our aspirations, and our shared vision for a better future. We participated meaningfully in the revision of the National Youth Policy (NYP), ensuring that it integrates the evolving challenges faced by young Cameroonians and the solutions proposed by youth themselves. Similarly, inspired by our collective experience and youth engagement at national and continental levels, we contributed to the development of the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS-NAP 2025–2030), a key framework to promote inclusion, civic engagement, and sustainable peace among young people.

Together, these shared achievements illustrate the collective will of the government, partners, and youth to build a nation rooted in peace and participation. These combined efforts mark not an end, but a growing movement a call for unity, collaboration, and shared responsibility to transform today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities for a peaceful and prosperous Cameroon.

As the election approaches, let us remain informed, responsible, and united. Elections are not a battlefield, but a peaceful exercise of citizenship where every voice matters. Let us verify information before sharing it, reject hate speech and manipulation, and remember that disagreement should never lead to division. On election day, let us be models of discipline and peace — voting with patience, respecting others’ choices, and cooperating with the forces of law and order as well as the electoral authorities.

After the results, whatever the outcome, Cameroon remains our common home. True victory belongs not to one tribe, one party, or one region, but to all of us. Let us choose dialogue over violence and unity over discord. Let us continue to work for peace, tolerance, and social cohesion. In case of war, young people are the first victims. So let's work  for peace and living together so that we can  better profit from the governmental and non-governmental projects and programs undertaken by the public authorities, in collaboration with youth and development partners because we are the present and the future of Cameroon and we must build this Cameroon all together.

The Cameroon National Youth Council calls on all young people, youth associations, student organizations, and community leaders to join us in spreading this message of peace — in our neighborhoods, schools, markets, churches, mosques, and online platforms at www.cnjcnyc.cm. Let us show that Cameroonian youth are not the problem — we are the solution and the hope. Let us vote wisely for ourselves and vote responsibly.

Yes to peace. Yes to unity. Yes to progress.
No to hate speech. No to division. No to violence.

Long live the youth of Cameroon.
Long live the Cameroon National Youth Council.
Long live peace and the Republic of Cameroon.