Cameroon's opposition candidate Cabral Libii votes in Efoulan school, Yaounde third district, 2018. Image from Wikipedia. Public domain. 

During election campaigns, young people are often used by political parties because of their large numbers and their potential to influence the votes of their relatives. In Cameroon, over 60 percent of the population is under the age of 35, and the median age is just 18.7. These young people no longer want to play the role of mere extras during election campaigns, but yearn to be agents of change.

Nchang Cho Clinton, a civil society youth actor, said:

Stop seeing youth as a demographic to be used during campaigns and ignored afterward.

Cameroon’s long-serving president, Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982, has announced October 12, 2025, as the date for the country’s next presidential election. With this announcement, the political landscape in the Central African nation is beginning to take shape ahead of the polls.

Aspirants have submitted their candidacies, party endorsements are pouring in, and alliances are forming. But outside elite circles, in university halls, social media groups, and on street corners, many young Cameroonians interviewed by Global Voices have a common question: “Are we finally the ‘leaders of tomorrow,’ or just props in yet another campaign spectacle?”

Between the stage and the streets

A rally organized on June 13, 2025, by the Association of Young Patriots for Paul Biya (JAPABI) saw over 150 young people gathered at Omnisport Stadium in Yaounde esplanade under the banner of “Youth Engagement for Peace.” There were speeches in praise of President Biya’s leadership. Many hailed him as a father figure and champion of unity.

However, a controversy around young people's participation in the upcoming presidential election emerged when some young Cameroonians were reported to have raised FCFA 40 million (over USD 65,000) for President Paul Biya‘s deposit and campaign expenses. Paul Biya is but a shadow of his former self, and his speeches are no longer unifying.

The donation collected by the young people was officially received at the Unity Palace on July 14, 2025, by the Minister of State and Secretary-General at the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, on behalf of the Head of State. The figure and gesture immediately stirred disbelief across the country due to the high unemployment rate among young people, who would find it difficult to raise this amount. Many young people took to social media to question the legitimacy of the donation, both because most young people have little extra to give and because Biya is notoriously unpopular with young voters. Reports from the Cameroon Radio Television say the youth representatives came from across the country. In 2025, the minimum monthly wage in Cameroon will be FCFA 43,969 (USD 78.11).

Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh noted that the youth representatives during the donation ceremony were from the country's Northwest and Southwest regions — areas that have long been affected by violent conflict in Cameroon. These two English-speaking regions have been gripped by a separatist conflict since 2016, stemming from long-standing grievances over perceived marginalization by the predominantly French-speaking central government, leading to an armed struggle between government forces and separatist groups.

As satire and memes flooded traditional social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, and X, many young people questioned the motive and sources of those finances. “That sounded so wrong,” a student who chose to be anonymous told Global Voices, adding that:

Youths are battling real issues and need that money more than he does. And frankly, the people giving the money looked over 35. In Cameroon, youth is apparently a flexible age.

On paper, Cameroon’s youth should be a major political force with an estimated general population of nearly 30 million people. But the reality is that young people remain underrepresented in politics. According to a World Bank report, the country’s youth face unemployment rates exceeding 30 percent, and over 70 percent of employed youth are underemployed, working in informal or unstable conditions.

A youth civil society actor, Nchange Cho Clinton, who heads the African Caribbean Pacific Diaspora Youth Support Services, said in an interview with Global Voices:

Unemployment and political exclusion are youths biggest challenges. Even with skills, many can’t find opportunities or platforms to be heard. It’s disheartening.

These frustrations fuel a growing disinterest in electoral politics, but not a total rejection. Clinton continues:

It’s one of the few rights we have left. Even if the system feels rigged, not voting ensures we’re excluded. We must vote, and demand accountability beyond the polls.

Still, skepticism runs deep. The FCFA 40 million contribution seemed to confirm what many fear: that youth are seen more as cheerleaders than changemakers.

Thirteen candidates, one nation on edge

Between July 12 and 21, 2025, Cameroon’s electoral body recorded over 80 candidature files for the presidency. The highest number in the country’s and the world’s history. This record far exceeds the 28 candidates registered in the 2018 election, and happened despite stricter legal and procedural requirements set in 2012.

On July 26, 2025, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) announced the provisional approval of 13 candidates out of 83 applicants for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for October 12. The announcement was made in Yaounde by Enow Abrams Egbe, chairperson of Elecam's Electoral Board. Among those approved are incumbent President Paul Biya, opposition leader Joshua Osih, and former ministers Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari, both former allies of Biya. Hermine Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya stands out as the only female candidate on the list. Notably, the application of prominent opposition figure Maurice Kamto was rejected. According to the electoral code, disqualified candidates have 48 hours to appeal to the Constitutional Council.

A promising 37-year-old engineer, Hiram Iyodi, running under the Front des Démocrates Camerounais (FDC), is equally gaining ground in the presidential race as he leverages the power of his TikTok and X accounts to rally fellow young Cameroonians to vote.

Each candidate brings a different vision, but the stakes remain the same: leadership over a fractured, youthful, and impatient nation. Cameroon enters this election burdened by unresolved crises, most notably the Anglophone conflict, persistent economic strain, deepening poverty, and mounting public demands for accountability.

Corruption remains pervasive. Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index scores Cameroon at 26 out of 100, placing it 140th out of 180 countries, a drop of one point from the previous year. Yet few young people feel that the current political class truly understands their challenges. A young medical student in Yaounde told Global Voices:

I am very much interested and hopeful. There’s a wind blowing across Africa. I hope Cameroon finally breathes it.

In this environment, youth-led NGOs such as Local Youth Corner (LOYOC) and Actions for Development and Empowerment (ADE) are stepping up, not just to campaign, but to inform. Workshops on civic education, employment rights, and political participation have multiplied, from Douala to Maroua. While JAPABI rallies for Biya, other networks push for a broader awakening: a politics of issues, not just loyalty.

Will the youth vote count?

At present, Cameroon has over eight million registered voters, and young people make up a significant number of the electorate; one might assume they hold the key to this election. However, voter turnout has historically been low among youth, and trust in political institutions remains shaky.

Still, there's a sense that something may shift. Social media is amplifying youth voices in real time. WhatsApp groups are doubling as civic forums. Influencers are talking policy. Students are discussing reforms over street food. And slowly, a generation that has long been dubbed “apathetic” is discovering its leverage. One student activist says:

 If our leaders keep viewing us as campaign tools instead of active citizens, then the change we need won’t come from them, it must come from us.

As October approaches, one thing is certain: Whether by vote or silence, Cameroon’s youth will shape this nation’s future. The challenge now is ensuring they’re not just present at rallies, but centered in the country’s long-overdue political renewal.