In an op-ed, Alex Nguepi argues that tribalism in Cameroon masks deeper economic failures.

“Those who invest their money in building homes, factories, businesses, and enterprises owe no explanations to those who chose to remain spectators,” Nguepi states firmly.

“The Bamileke people do not need to justify their ownership of land, homes, or businesses in Douala, Yaoundé, or any other region of Cameroon. Cameroon does not belong to a single tribe, community, or group—it belongs to all Cameroonians.”

Major cities like Douala and Yaoundé were not built by one ethnic group alone. They were constructed through the taxes, sacrifices, and hard work of millions of Cameroonians from every corner of the country. No one holds exclusive rights to Cameroonian citizenship.

The uncomfortable truth is clear: the Bamileke have cultivated a culture of savings, commerce, investment, and wealth-building. While some spend, others invest. While some consume, others build. While some make excuses for their lack of progress, others work diligently to secure a better future for their children.

Young people from the West Region do not dream of inheriting their family homes indefinitely. They aspire to construct their own houses, establish businesses, and leave a legacy for future generations. That’s why they purchase land, build apartments, open shops, and create jobs wherever opportunities arise.

It is therefore baseless to frame economic success as a political issue. Those who invest their resources in building homes, factories, businesses, and enterprises should not be held accountable by those who prefer to watch from the sidelines.

The real scandal is not Cameroonians thriving across their nation. The genuine disgrace lies in leaders, after decades in power, still resorting to ethnic divisions to distract from their poor economic and social records.

When the economy falters, unemployment rises, poverty spreads, and opportunities dwindle, purveyors of division always resort to the same tactics: ethnicity, indigeneity, and discord. This is the playbook of regimes nearing the end of their cycles, bereft of solutions for their people.

Cameroon does not need tribalists. Cameroon needs builders—citizens who invest, create businesses, pay taxes, generate jobs, and contribute to national prosperity.

A nation progresses through the efforts of entrepreneurs, farmers, industrialists, traders, and workers—not through hate speech, envy, or stigmatization.

Let each person build. Let each person invest. Let each person create wealth. And Cameroon will advance.

The future belongs to builders. Those sowing division will end up in the dustbin of history.

Alex Nguepi