Making Informed Decisions
Cameroon's universities keep producing graduates โ over 112,000 in a single academic year, according to Ministry of Higher Education figures reported by StopBlaBlaCam. Eleven public universities and a growing list of private ones (Grokipedia, 2026) send out thousands more every cycle. And yet, by 2024, youth unemployment in Cameroon had climbed to 74% (Nkafu Policy Institute), with close to 90% of the national workforce stuck in informal, unstable work (World Bank, cited in CEPI, 2025).
So the degrees are there. The jobs aren't. And for a lot of young people, that gap gets filled with certificates instead of skills โ one more diploma, one more course, hoping it'll be the thing that finally opens a door. But the data tells a different story. In the UN's own World Youth Report, young people themselves point to networks โ not paperwork โ as their biggest asset in finding work. One East Africa Institute study backs this up almost exactly: over half of young people who land jobs, formal or informal, get there through referrals and connections, not job ads.
That's the real gap. Not talent. Not effort. Orientation. This is why SICIA runs Deeply Merited Scholars. No new certificate to chase โ just coaching, mentorship, and honest guidance to help you figure out what you're actually good at, build the specific skills that path needs, and learn how to put yourself in front of the right people.
It's completely free, open to graduates and young professionals from any university, any background. And it doesn't stop after one session โ our WhatsApp community keeps opportunities flowing and mentorship going long after the event ends. This isn't a one-day fix. It's the start of something ongoing.
