Call for Applications: 20 Young Baker Artisans for the Youth Connekt Cameroon 2026 National Competition

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education (MINJEC) has launched a call for applications to select twenty (20) young Cameroonian artisans trained in baking and pastry-making based on local raw materials. They will take part in the national competition for baker artisans, part of the 7th edition of the Youth Connekt Cameroon Convention (9–13 November 2026, National Museum and Yaoundé Conference Centre).

Theme: “Artificial Intelligence, skills and jobs: what solutions are suited to youth employability in Cameroon?”

Deadline: Monday, 26 October 2026 at 3:30 p.m. sharp

Objectives

• Highlight the talents and entrepreneurial initiatives of young baker artisans;
• Promote the spirit of initiative, creativity and the integration of digital tools or AI into production, management or marketing processes;
• Showcase Cameroon's cultural and gastronomic heritage through the use of local flours and other local raw materials;
• Promote civic engagement, economic patriotism and the active participation of young people in the development of the Nation;
• Create a dynamic networking framework among young entrepreneurs, public institutions and private-sector partners.

Who Can Apply

• Graduates of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 cohorts of the Baking Cluster based on local raw materials, supported by MINJEC;
• Candidates who unreservedly accept the rules, the selection criteria and the provisions of the internal regulations of the competition.

Selection Criteria

• Administrative compliance: complete file, nationality, training period;
• Know-how and technical skills: mastery of bread-making and pastry techniques, and compliance with hygiene and food safety rules;
• Technological innovation: ability to propose an idea or a project incorporating innovative or digital solutions;
• Local value addition: originality in the integration and processing of local raw materials (cassava flour, sweet potato flour, etc.) in the spirit of “Made in Cameroon”;
• Project viability: entrepreneurial potential, motivation, economic realism and capacity to create jobs for other young people.

Application File

• The official application form, duly completed, dated and signed;
• A legible photocopy of the National Identity Card (CNI) or of any valid official identity document;
• A photocopy of the certificate of completion of training in baking/pastry-making;
• A brief description of the project or innovation (maximum 1 page), highlighting the link with the theme (innovation/digital technology) and the use of local products.

No file or application fees will be required. Participation in the competition is entirely free of charge.

Support for Finalist Candidates

The twenty (20) best baker artisans selected at the end of the pre-selection phase will benefit from exclusive coverage of the following during the competition:

• Accommodation;
• Meals;
• Local urban transport related to competition activities.

Inter-city transport costs (round trip from the place of origin to the venue of the final) are the sole responsibility of the selected candidates.

How to Apply

• Electronic submission: send the file, scanned as a single PDF, to fogajeune@gmail.com, with the subject line Application Baker Artisans Competition YCC 2026 - [Your Name];
• Physical submission: deposit the file in a sealed envelope at one of the following structures:
  • Mail Service of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education (MINJEC);
  • Regional or Divisional Delegations of MINJEC;
  • Regional Multifunctional Youth Promotion Centres (CMPJ);
  • Regional branches of FOGAJEUNE.

Each physical envelope must bear the following inscription: “For the attention of the Organising Committee – FOR THE SELECTION OF YOUNG CAMEROONIANS TRAINED IN BAKING/PASTRY-MAKING BASED ON LOCAL RAW MATERIALS – YCC 2026 COMPETITION”.

Documents

The official call for applications and the application form, in English and French, are attached below.