Local construction materials such as gravel, sand, clay and lime as well as dimension stones are poised to play a crucial role in meeting Cameroon's housing demand and the country's transition into a middle-income economy.

The housing deficit in Cameroon is significant. The Government of Cameroon has highlighted the need to construct an estimated one million homes in the next 5-10 years to meet the housing needs of a growing population that is increasingly urbanised.

A Prime Ministerial circular of 2014 – strengthening the provisions of an earlier 2007 circular – has compelled contracting authorities to incorporate local materials in the construction of public buildings across the country.

This has led to a partnership between the Local Material Promotion Authority (MIPROMALO) and the Ministry of Public Works (MINTP) to popularize and promote the use of local materials by construction companies.

On 18 – 20 October 2016, 84 stakeholders came together in Yaoundé, Cameroon to draft a road map to support sustainability in the Development Minerals sector and to advance the implementation of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme in Cameroon.