Economist Alex Nguepi challenges tribal rhetoric in Cameroon

In a compelling op-ed, economist Alex Nguepi argues that Cameroon’s economic challenges are being obscured by divisive tribal narratives. He emphasizes that those who invest in property, industry and enterprise “owe no explanations to those who remain mere spectators.”

According to Nguepi, no single ethnic group—including the Bamileke—should be expected to justify their economic success. “Cameroon belongs to all its citizens, not to any one tribe or community,” he states. Cities like Douala and Yaoundé were built through the collective efforts of millions of Cameroonians from all regions, not just one group.

The Bamileke community, he notes, has cultivated a culture of thrift, commerce and investment. While some Cameroonians focus on consumption, others are building assets, creating businesses and securing futures for their families. “The dream of many young people from the West is not to inherit a family home but to construct their own houses, launch their own enterprises and leave a legacy for the next generation,” Nguepi explains.

He dismisses attempts to politicize economic success as “ridiculous,” asserting that those who build homes, factories and businesses contribute far more to national progress than those who spread division. “The real scandal isn’t that some Cameroonians succeed economically. The real scandal is that after decades in power, some leaders still resort to tribalism to mask their failures in governance and economic development.”

Nguepi warns that tribal rhetoric typically resurfaces during economic downturns, when unemployment rises and poverty spreads. “When economies falter, those clinging to power often resort to the same divisive tools: tribe, indigeneity and discord,” he observes. Such tactics, he argues, reflect regimes in their final cycles, bereft of solutions.

Cameroon doesn’t need tribalists—it needs builders. It needs citizens who invest, create jobs, pay taxes and drive national prosperity. A nation advances through the efforts of entrepreneurs, farmers, industrialists and workers—not through hate speech, envy or stigmatization.

Nguepi’s message is clear: “Let each person build. Let each person invest. Let each person create wealth. And Cameroon will progress.”

The future, he concludes, belongs to those who build. “Those who sow division will end up in the dustbin of history.”