Cameroon

Promoting historical and cultural heritage in Cameroon

Musée national du Cameroun, ICC

Musée national du Cameroun © AFD

AFD funding is helping to modernize the National Museum of Cameroon in Yaoundé.
01/10/2019
Project start date
Yaoundé
Location
Employment
Cultural and Creative Industries
sector(s)
Debt-reducing and Development Contract
financing tool(s)
1 000 000 EUR
Financing amount
3 years
Duration of funding
Ongoing
Status
Republic of Cameroon
Beneficiaries
Context

In order to promote the country’s cultural diversity, Cameroon is seeking to develop an ambitious museum policy, which includes the highly
symbolic plan to modernize the National Museum in Yaoundé. The National Museum was created in 1988 and is the largest museum in the
country. It is housed in the former Presidential Palace and covers an area of 5000 m2. It is also the reference and resource center for all
the other museums in Cameroon. After renovation, the museum reopened in 2015, and is seeing a rising number of visits. The objective of
the project is to position this institution as a reference center for culture and cultural heritage in Cameroon and more broadly, in West and
Central Africa.

Description

AFD is supporting the Cameroon Ministry of Culture in its project to develop and preserve the cultural heritage of the National Museum.
The project seeks to provide capacity building for the museum in managing, conserving, and promoting its museum collections. It will help
showcase the museum pieces and works, strengthen programming, diversify the collections on display, and attract a broader public. It will
also enable the National Museum to take on its “reference” role for other Cameroonian museums, to more closely align itself with
international museum standards, and join cooperation networks for museums from various countries. The project to support the
development of the National Museum has three main components:

Renovation of the National Museum and the fitting out of its spaces
Improvement in the protection and showcasing of its collections
Development and implementation of a scientific and cultural policy, as part of a reinforced management plan.

Impacts

Enhancement of the historical and cultural heritage of Cameroon

Improved museum skills through the exchange of best practices and know-how between French and Cameroonian cultural players
Support for cultural development as a vector for growth and job creation, particularly in the cultural tourism sector