17/05/2026
How do we Bring CANEX / Afrexim to Bamenda?
The cultural and creative industries in Bamenda are severely under-resourced financially, despite their role in job creation and social cohesion. Across Cameroon, CCIs operate with minimal access to capital, formal financing, and business training, which is why UNESCO has long advocated for governments and institutions to dedicate at least 2.5 % of their capital investment to the creative economy. In practice, that commitment rarely materializes at the local level, leaving creatives to self-fund through informal systems. Our Njangi for cultural entrepreneurs directly addresses this gap by creating a rotating capital pool that has already enabled members to acquire equipments and/ or launch projects without relying on external loans. With 7 members contributing monthly and a transparent governance structure, the model proves that collective trust can fill the financing void that banks and investors ignore.
Scaling this scheme over the next five years can build a sustainable future for the CCI ecosystem in Bamenda and make it visible to CANEX and Afreximbank., grant schemes .The goal is to grow from 7 to 50+ creatives, formalize the Njangi into a registered arts incubator/fund, and use it as collateral and track record to access larger financing. CANEX and Afreximbank are designed to support African creative enterprises with capital and market linkages, but they require applicants to show governance, financial discipline, and measurable impact. By documenting our contribution records, beneficiary outcomes, we meet their standards. Studying arts entrepreneurship and cultural policy will give us the systems and business models to package a bankable “Bamenda Cultural Enterprise Hub.” In five years, this means Bamenda’s creatives won’t just be surviving show-to-show; they’ll have access to equipment, training, and growth capital that keeps revenue and intellectual property within the community.
Akumbu
Black Swagger Inc