IFC’s nearly $1 million play set to rewrite who gets credit in emerging markets of Cameroon

International Finance Corporation is advancing nearly $1 million a new advisory push in Cameroon aimed at strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises and improving their access to finance in one of Africa’s more constrained credit markets.

The initiative, known as the Local Champions Initiative, is designed to identify high-potential domestic firms, address capacity gaps, and prepare them for investment by improving governance, financial management, and compliance with environmental and social standards.

Building investment-ready businesses

Rather than direct financing, the program, with a project budget which includes all project-funded activities, focuses on technical assistance that helps SMEs become bankable. The approach is aimed at transforming promising local businesses into structured, investment-ready enterprises capable of attracting private capital and scaling sustainably.

IFC’s model provides standardized support packages tailored to firms operating in fragile or underserved markets, where access to credit and institutional capacity remain limited. The goal is to strengthen operational resilience while expanding the pipeline of viable projects for both IFC and external investors.

The initiative also places emphasis on building stronger linkages within local value chains, enabling SMEs to play a larger role in job creation and domestic economic activity.

Long-term development push

Approved in December 2025, the advisory project is scheduled to run through 2028, with an estimated budget of $950,000 covering technical assistance and implementation activities.

By focusing on early-stage capacity building, IFC is seeking to reduce one of the biggest barriers to private investment in Cameroon: the shortage of structured, finance-ready enterprises.

The program reflects a broader strategy to deepen private sector participation in frontier economies by improving the quality of investable opportunities rather than relying solely on direct capital deployment.