• Cameroon harvests 60 of 300 tree species

• Six species account for 70% of timber output

• Forestry exports reached 140.4 billion CFA francs in 2024

Cameroon’s forestry industry harvests only a small share of the country’s tree species despite the vast potential of its forest resources. A mid-term review of the SNDS30 (National Statistics Development Strategy 2021–2030), published by the Ministry of Economy, shows that only about 60 of the 300 tree species found in the country are currently harvested.

Of this limited number, six species account for 70% of national timber output, the report says. They are Ayous, Sapelli, Tali, Azobé, Okam and Fraké. According to the Ministry of Economy’s Competitiveness Committee, Sapelli lumber stands out on the global market, where Cameroon is the leading supplier.

Figures from the ministry point to weak diversification of forest products and highlight untapped potential in a sector that ranks among Cameroon’s top 10 export earners.

According to national accounts data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), exports of forestry and logging products, including timber and related wood products, generated 140.4 billion CFA francs (about $254.3 million) in 2024, up nearly 4 billion CFA francs from a year earlier. The 2024 figure marks the second-highest revenue level since 2019, after the 147.6 billion CFA francs recorded in 2021.

BRM, with Business in Cameroon