Yaoundé, 16 February 2026 (ECA) – On the occasion of the first edition of the Cafés de la Diversification Economique (CaDE), the Subregional Office for Central Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) launched a major “ideas marketing” initiative aimed at strengthening the knowledge foundations of economic transformation in the subregion.
The objective is to foster broad ownership of the “Douala Consensus.” The ambition is no longer merely to produce reports, but to build an ecosystem in which industrial leaders, researchers, and policymakers speak a common language, grounded in evidence and driven by action.
During an Open Day held on 16 February 2026, marked by in-depth exchanges with representatives of academic institutions (universities, research centers, and think tanks) and an exhibition of ECA’s flagship knowledge products, the Office consolidated its partnerships with research institutions.
Seven universities, seven research centers and think tanks, along with a representative cross-section of private sector actors and civil society organizations, responded to the invitation—demonstrating growing interest in structured cooperation around economic transformation.
This momentum has laid the groundwork for the establishment of a regional network of think tanks and research centers, designed to strengthen the continuum between ECA’s operational research and academic fundamental research.
At the midpoint of the Decade of Economic Diversification in Central Africa (2021–2030), Jean Luc Mastaki, Director of the Subregional Office, emphasized:
“Central Africa’s true transformation is first and foremost knowledge. The priority is to break down the barriers between technical expertise and academic research in order to build robust and credible public policies. At the same time, given the evolving economic landscape of the subregion, it is urgent that intellectual production supports and accelerates economic diversification policies.”
Participants unanimously recommended institutionalizing the Cafés de la Diverisifcation Economique as a permanent platform for the co-creation of evidence-based public policies.
Professor Bruno Ongo Nkoa, Director of the Research Center in Economics and Management at the University of Yaoundé II, noted:
“This platform will enable research to engage more effectively with public policy and exert greater influence. It will also allow our researchers to produce more technical and policy-relevant analyses tailored to decision-makers’ needs.”
The CaDE initiative reflects a strategic shift: ECA is positioning itself not only as a center of technical expertise, but as a central actor in the regional economic policy debate and a catalyst for a collective narrative on structural transformation.
Dr. Alfred Ramdaji of the University of N’Djamena called for deeper integration of ECA’s ideas into academic curricula: “The ideas, actions, and concepts promoted by ECA, particularly the Douala Consensus as a pathway out of the current economic model, should be taught in universities. We must adapt training curricula to reflect our strategic development challenges.”
Through this alliance with research institutions and knowledge actors, ECA is laying the foundations for a regional coalition of influence capable of embedding economic diversification firmly within public policy frameworks and public discourse.
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Zacharie Roger MBARGA - Communications Officer
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
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