Abstract

Like several other African Countries, It is an undisputable fact that Cameroon is richly endowed with natural resources. Natural resources are that which are drawn from nature and used with few modifications, this includes the sources of valued characteristic such as commercial, industrial use and cultural values. On earth, it includes sunlight, atmosphere, water, land, all minerals along with all vegetation and wildlife.

Cameroon is one of the countries in Africa that is rich in petroleum, mineral ores, tropical forest, wildlife, water systems, fertile lands, and much more. Natural resources are important sources of national wealth which enhance a country’s potential for economic growth around the world. In the Africa, Cameroon largely remains a natural resource- rich country at the heart of central African region inhabited by people who neither directly nor indirectly benefit from the wealth of its resources.

Several researchers of this literature have found that the discovery of natural resources in an economy can either be a blessing or a curse unto the nation others have found mixed results. A research design is a plan which specifies how data relating to a given research or problem should be collected and analyzed. It provides the procedural outline for the conduct of any investigation.

A sampling technique is a plan specifying how elements will be drawn from the population (nworgu, 1991) in this study, the sample random sampling technique was used, meaning that each individual of the need population under the study had the same chance of being included in the sample. In aggregation, majority of participants (90%) Agreed that natural resources if properly managed can result in socioeconomic development of Cameroon meanwhile, (29%) Disagreed to that effect. Nevertheless, it would be simplistic to say that the existing potential in terms of natural resources is fully valued.

For now petroleum accounts for 50% of the country’s exports. In addition, the exports of these products when processed, does not allow Cameroon to benefits from the added value that could bring their local transformation.one of the major problems therefore is the non-competitiveness of the industrial sector, the development of industries whether extractive or manufacturing requires investment.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

Like several other African Countries, It is an undisputable fact that Cameroon is richly endowed with natural resources. Natural resources are that which are drawn from nature and used with few modifications, this includes the sources of valued characteristic such as commercial, industrial use and cultural values. On earth, it includes sunlight, atmosphere, water, land, all minerals along with all vegetation and wildlife. Cameroon is one of the countries in Africa that is rich in petroleum, mineral ores, tropical forest, wildlife, water systems, fertile lands, and much more.

The country has always placed socio-economic development at the core of its national policy; in its current vision, Cameroon is making development efforts with the goal of becoming an emerging country by 2035. Emergence is considered to be intermediate stage between development and underdevelopment, it has an economic, social, and political dimension.

Alao Abiodun (2011) he describes natural resources as non-artificial materials or products which can be used to generate income or serve other functional purposes benefiting mankind. Land, water, forest, mineral, oil, biodiversity, landscape and more, constitute what is broadly referred to as renewable and non-renewable natural resources. Natural resources are thus the products of nature’s benevolence which a country really does nothing special to receive as a gift of nature to humanity, natural resources deposits anywhere are not a function of military technological, financial, or spiritual might. Rather the availability of the resource can make a country an economic, financial or military giant.

While the availability of natural resources does not depend on humanity and civilization, there is a strong relationship between civilization, exploitation, democracy, conflict, inefficient spending

and borrowing, social and environmental problems and the benefits from natural resources. Cameroon with the current population of 28million inhabitant as of March 14, 2023 based on the world-meter elaboration of the latest UNITED NATIONS is often described as” Africa in miniature” a country richly endowed with wide variety of natural resources and nestled within an enterprising regional market environment with significant demand potentials from neighboring Nigeria and the rest of the Central African Economic Monetary States (CEMAC).

When one looks at Cameroon’s abundant natural resources, we would expect at least country with a minimum level of development, a country self-sufficient, with basic social infrastructures such as water supply, schools, hospitals, roads, electricity supply, and more. A booming economy with acceptable low level of unemployment and poverty. This is unfortunately not the reality as Cameroon has emerged a site for programmatic experiment.

Paradoxically, like other African counties Cameroon remains stuck in the natural resource curse as the imposing figures of Cameroon’s natural resources revenues unfortunately represents little impact in the lives of ordinary citizens. The mere availability of these resources is not enough to take advantage of them as the following few observations are put into context.

In 2020, Cameroon became the top African exporter of processed wood, which is timbers with a record export worth 611.9 million in a year, the forest also accounts for 9% of GDP, 20% of jobs and is also the largest supplier of timber in the African continent. The East which is one of the regions from where timber comes from, is the least developed with one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country.

With a production level between 230.000 and 290.000 tons per year over the last decade, Cameroon is currently the fifth largest cocoa producer in the world. It exports around 75% of its production as raw beans, which are produced mainly by small- scale farmers located in the forest areas and more in the savannah areas. Yet, most of Meme, Kupe-Muaneguba, and Fako division where most of these are produced is enclaved and poverty stricken.

Forest exploitation and ancillary engagements account for about 80% between a period of 2000 – 2021.

Petroleum resources may account for more than half of the export earnings, about 24% of government revenues and approximately 6% of GDP. Similarly, Cameroon may be producing about 32 million barrels per year of crude oil, yet extractive industries account for just 8- 10% of Cameroon’s GDP. Beyond the generalized state of poverty in the country, Ndian division were the oil comes from is not only poor and enclaved but also abandoned.

Some of the cause and effects of this natural resource paradox in Cameroon and Africa at large includes;

Democracy

Natural resources wealth, particularly oil wealth, has made it more likely for government to become or remain authoritarian over the past years. Politicians are less concerned with citizen request or demands. Further, when resource revenues are secret, citizens do not have a clear sense of whether the resource revenues are being spent well or not. Since there’s no transparency of revenues acquired from natural resource it slows down the democracy of the country.

Conflict natural resources can and often do provoke and sustain internal conflict as different groups fight over for control of the resources to finance their fighting. Since 1990 oil producing countries have been twice as likely to have a civil war compared with non-oil-producing countries.

Inefficient spending and borrowing

The amount that the government collects in resource revenues can change drastically from year to year because of change I commodity prices and production. Several studies have shown that it is very difficult to effectively spend fluctuating and unpredictable revenues as government have a tendency to overspend government salaries, inefficient fuel subsidies, and large monuments then tend to underspend on education, health, and social services. This type of behavior leads to debt crisis of a country when resource revenues declines.

Social and environmental problems

the extractive industries often create challenges when trying to balance the need of the people and the environment that surrounds the mining areas. Sharing and compensating for resource such as lands, water, mineral can create conflict between the extraction companies and the communities; in addition, extraction projects often attract large influxes of people whether or not additional employment is actually available. This can cause stress on economic social, and cultural resources.

Now, this above shows the paradox of natural resources in Cameroon and as to why Cameroon’s enormous natural wealth has instead triggered development reversals or under-development in the country. Natural resource represents a major source of revenue and should naturally lead the country to growth and development rather than depletion on the economy.

1.2 Statement of the problem.

Natural resources are important sources of national wealth which enhance a country’s potential for economic growth around the world. In the Africa, Cameroon largely remains a natural resource- rich country at the heart of central African region inhabited by people who neither directly nor indirectly benefit from the wealth of its resources. By inferences, Cameroon as a country is not poor but its natural resources do not really translate to much development outcome for its inhabitants.

Cameroon’s economic performance has not been very stable from the early 70’s to date. And thus the country’s desire to achieve sustainable growth and reduce poverty levels, coupled with a growing population has thus imposed pressure on natural resources leading to the imminent depletion.

This research thus seeks to understand and analyze why natural resources have led to under- development and depletion rather than development in Cameroon.

1.3 Research questions

1. What is the natural resource base of Cameroon?
2. What is the role of natural resources in the development of Cameroon?
3. How have natural resources failed in the development of Cameroon?

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