Elon Musk as the “DOGE”: Entrepreneurial Disruption and the Future of Public Leadership in Cameroon

 

Elon Musk as the “DOGE”: Entrepreneurial Disruption and the Future of Public Leadership in Cameroon

By Ernest Chefon Ndukong

Elon Musk, the globally recognized CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and other ambitious ventures, represents more than just corporate success. He is a symbol of disruptive leadership — a figure who challenges institutional norms and reshapes entire industries. Musk’s influence extends into policy, culture, and even diplomacy.

His style — bold, fast, tech-centric — offers a provocative lens through which to examine leadership models, especially in places like Cameroon where traditional governance frameworks often stifle innovation. Could Musk’s brand of entrepreneurial disruption offer lessons for public service in Cameroon?

Cameroon at a Crossroads: Can Business-Led Thinking Transform Public Institutions?

Cameroon, like many African nations, faces deep structural challenges: underperforming public institutions, slow project delivery, and inefficient governance. Yet the private sector has demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and a growing appetite for innovation. The real question is whether entrepreneurial leadership — exemplified by figures like Musk — can successfully inform or even infiltrate public governance in Cameroon.

Vision as Currency: Why Big Ideas Matter in Public Leadership

Musk has reimagined electric mobility, commercial space travel, and AI — shifting global expectations about what’s possible. In Cameroon, similar visionary thinking is seen in the tech ecosystem, notably with Arthur Zang, creator of the CardioPad, a tablet that enables remote heart examinations.

Public policy in Cameroon, however, often lacks this ambition. Integrating private-sector visionaries into national development strategy — especially in sectors like health, education, and energy — could accelerate transformative change

Doing More with Less: Private-Sector Efficiency in a Resource-Strapped State

Efficiency is Musk’s signature: reusable rockets, automated factories, and lean R&D pipelines. Cameroon’s public sector, by contrast, suffers from project cost overruns, procurement delays, and minimal accountability.

Enter leaders like Célestin Tawamba, CEO of Cadyst Group and president of GICAM. If such figures were involved in designing or managing public programs, Cameroon could see improved cost-efficiency, better monitoring, and reduced waste — essential for development in a resource-constrained environment.

Speaking Directly to the People: Digital Tools and the Democratization of Leadership

Musk’s unfiltered use of X (formerly Twitter) bypasses traditional media and institutions, offering a new model of real-time public engagement. In Cameroon, where citizens often feel disconnected from policy decisions, digital platforms could become bridges.

Imagine a regional governor live-streaming town hall sessions or using mobile apps to gather community feedback — a powerful way to rebuild trust and transparency in governance.

Tackling Red Tape Like a Startup: Entrepreneurial Mindsets Against Bureaucracy

Private-sector leaders thrive on speed and adaptability. Cameroon’s public sector, on the other hand, is notorious for bureaucratic drag — from permit approvals to procurement contracts.

If entrepreneurial minds were embedded in reform commissions or ministerial units, they could push for digitized workflows, performance-based KPIs, and time-bound delivery metrics — breaking decades-old inertia.

When Systems Push Back: Corruption and Institutional Resistance

Musk has often clashed with regulators and traditional institutions — a reminder that disruption invites resistance. In Cameroon, where governance is deeply intertwined with political patronage and opaque networks, even the best-intentioned business leaders can be sidelined or blocked.

Fighting corruption and streamlining public processes requires not only boldness but also political acumen and coalition-building — skills not all entrepreneurs possess.

Speed vs. Stability: The Cultural Collision Between Boardrooms and Bureaucracies

Business success often relies on speed and risk-taking. Government, in contrast, operates through procedure, consensus, and institutional caution.

This cultural mismatch means a CEO transitioning into public office might find the system frustratingly slow — or be seen as destabilizing. Real change will require leaders who can balance entrepreneurial momentum with an understanding of public governance rhythms.

From Maverick to Minister: Navigating Public Backlash and Political Risk

Musk’s controversial tweets and erratic behaviour have drawn global scrutiny. In Cameroon, where ethnic, regional, and political sensitivities run deep, bold decisions — even when effective — can provoke backlash.

Reforms in land administration, tax policy, or fuel subsidies, for example, might make economic sense but face resistance from vested interests or vulnerable communities. Leadership in this space demands a careful mix of courage, diplomacy, and empathy.

Great Ideas, Weak Systems: Why Implementation is Cameroon’s Real Bottleneck

Cameroon doesn’t suffer from a lack of good ideas — it suffers from poor execution. Many digital reforms have stalled not because they were flawed but because of weak institutional coordination, lack of funding, or outdated infrastructure.

Even a visionary entrepreneur will fail if the implementation pipeline is broken. Public innovation requires system design, not just product thinking.

Mobile Money, Missed Opportunity: What MTN Taught Us About E-Governance

MTN’s introduction of mobile money revolutionized how Cameroonians transact — proving that scalable innovation is possible even under tough conditions. The public sector, however, has failed to replicate or leverage such innovations for things like tax collection, school fees, or hospital payments.

The lesson: innovation can start in the private sector, but without an enabling public ecosystem, it rarely reaches national scale.

Beyond the Hype: Real Reform Requires More Than Disruption

Elon Musk’s leadership — bold, disruptive, tech-oriented — offers Cameroon a provocative model of how to think and act differently. But real reform in public service goes beyond vision and charisma. It requires durable systems, inclusive processes, and political courage.

Cameroon doesn’t just need disruptors — it needs builders of lasting institutions.

A Musk for Cameroon? Blending Boldness with Bureaucratic Wisdom

Could Cameroon cultivate its own version of a Musk — a figure who blends entrepreneurial daring with deep governance insight?

Possibly. But such a leader must not only challenge the status quo, they must build bridges across it. The real path forward lies in fusing private-sector dynamism with the legitimacy, continuity, and responsibility of public service.

The future of Cameroonian governance may depend not just on who leads — but on how well they navigate the space between innovation and institution.

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Increase In Fuel Prices In Cameroon, An Economic Quackmire

 

Increase In Fuel Prices, An Economic Quackmire

By Ernest Chefon Ndukong

Cameroon’s Head of State, Paul Biya, hinted in his traditional end-of-year address to the nation on December 31,2023, a possible increase in fuel prices. This was aimed to cushion the state’s subsidy burden on petroleum products, signalling a contribution of about FCFA 640 billion in 2023, dropping from over FCFA 1,000 billion in 2022.

The recent government announcement resulted from an increase in fuel pump prices in February 2023 of circa 16 percent and 25 percent for Super and Diesel, respectively.

On Friday, February 1, 2024, the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana convocated a consultative meeting for February 2, 2024, with trade union organisations in the presence of the Ministers of Labour and Social Security, Transport, Water and Energy and representatives of Defence and Security forces.

The result of this consultation was a further 15 percent increase in fuel pump prices to FCFA 840 and FCFA 828 for Super and Diesel respectively. This translates to circa 33 percent and 44 percent increase prior to February 2023 for the respective fuel products.

Consultation Or Information?

Whether the above session was consultative or informative is unknown to the ordinary Cameroonian. In the last quarter of 2023, the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, held several meetings with concerned stakeholders after which the price of bread was reduced from FCFA 150 to FCFA 135. These sessions with Union of bakers could be interpreted to represent a consultation.

The Place Of Planning

The new fuel prices were notified just few hours to the effective date, leaving no time for economic operators and fuel consumers to properly strategise on how to limit the negative consequences that such a major expense head could have on their activities. Businesses with approved budgets would immediately start experiencing overspends while individuals will be forced to cough out more from their generally limited resources. This action disregards the benefits of the place of planning, however this may have affected only the spender as the State might have considered it in its yearly subsidy savings for the 2024 budget.

Consumer Perception On Usage Of Subsidy Savings

As indicated by the Head of State, the increase in fuel prices is intended to reduce the State’s subsidy burden on petroleum products and possibly diverting the funds to other avenues to improve the living standards of Cameroonians. However, many a Cameroonian has minimum knowledge of exactly what project was realised with their extra contribution to state cash inflow via the increased fuel prices. A bike driver or taxi driver would feel fulfilled to learn that his extra FCFA 110 paid for Super was part of the funds used to build a hospital in Founangue in the Far North Region or a school in Noni, in the North West Region, or a bridge in Bamvele, in the East Region.

Multiplier Effect Of Increase In Fuel Prices

Rumours and the effective increase in the prices of fuel were received with anguish by many stakeholders as it immediately led to increased travel and transport cost, increased consumer spending and business cost and increased inflation.

Businesses rely on vehicles that use fuel for the transportation and logistics of their products. Therefore, when fuel expenses for businesses increase, product and service costs may also rise. These increases can be passed on to consumers as higher prices for final products and services.

Fuel prices determine the daily travel and transportation costs for vehicle owners, thus their increase directly leads to increased expenses and strained budgets. Considering transport cost is a significant portion in every budget, its increase will have a toll on general consumer spending restricting other expenditures, which could deteriorate the living standards of the population.

Considering fuel is important to most economic operators, an increase in its price will lead to a general price increase of other products leading to an inflationary situation, thus elevating the consumer price index and reducing purchasing power.

With business expenses on a high resulting from increased fuel or transport cost, businesses directly and hugely affected would source for ways to cut down on other costs and often resort to reducing staff and limiting wage increases, thereby increasing the unemployment rate and prolonged wage stagnation.

Incommensurate Accompanying Measures

The Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s office, in his correspondence of February 2, 2024, notifying the increase in fuel prices equally highlighted some measures to be put in place by the State to cushion the effects of the increase in fuel prices.

Among these measures includes an increase by 5 percent of the basic salaries of public servants, dialoguing with the private sector on the guaranteed inter-professional minimum wage and related issues, and the reduction of certain tax and customs charges in the road transport sector. While these measures lack more data for effective planning and forecasting, questions whether they will attain the intended objective remains a concern.

Possible Ways To Limit Effects Of Fuel Price Increase

Increased fuel and transport cost can push people towards alternative modes opting for more economical energy sources for power generation and use of public transportation, cycling, walking and ride sharing services. Our environment has its inherent limitations to some of these alternatives, some of which are uncoordinated, coupled with less luxurious public transport services, insecurity on the streets, absence or non-respect of walk paths.

While the increase in fuel prices will enable the State to save on subsidies on petroleum products, thereby boosting its treasury resources, the effect on the end user only turns an already bad economic situation to a worse one, with enormous hardship impending leaving the population to only but hope that C.S Lewis’ “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny” quote sees the light of day.

Refining The Place Of Technology In The 21st Century Business : A New Paradigm For Business Sustainability

 

Refining The Place Of Technology In The 21st Century Business : A  New Paradigm For Business Sustainability

By Ernest Chefon Ndukong (the script of a presentation at the Catholic University Institute of Buea, School of Business Conference held on 09/01/2023)

 “When digital transformation is done right, it’s like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, but when done wrong, all you have is a really fast caterpillar.” George Westerman.

Most businesses which had enormous potential for exponential growth and expansion are nothing but really fast caterpillars today because of failure to match up with technological evolution. The consequence of technological obsolescence is that the company is either overtaken on the market place or worst still they go out of business resulting from declining performance. The one person responsible for causing a business to experience declining performance or exit the market is “The Boss”.

Some worldwide examples of businesses that failed to adapt include;

Blockbuster, a former provider of movies and video game rental services employed over 84.000 people worldwide at its peak. They failed to change their business model with time and their demise came with Netflix and other on-demand streaming.

Blackberry at a point had over 80 million users worldwide with the likes of former U.S president, Barack Obama who got rid of his in 2016. They monopolized the market in the 2000s as the primary mode of personal and business communication was carried out on Blackberry messenger. They ignored upgrade until would be overtaken by the likes of Apple with the iPhone just with touch screen base technology.

Kodak used to be leader in photographic film throughout the 20^th century but stayed in their comfort zone. They introduced the first digital camera in 1975 but dropped it due to fear of it dismantling their photographic film steamroller. Digital eventually took over and Kodak’s failure to innovate forced them to file for bankruptcy in 2012, re-emerging in 2013, much smaller and focusing on serving commercial clients.

Locally, several cases of business decline or exit are recorded for one reason or the other. Some anonymous cases are illustrated with their history and experience;

There exists a money transfer company which led the market and had mammoth potentials to monopolize the money transfer market. They even had a powerful tool in complaining customers which they could leverage on to skyrocket in the market place. They failed to make use of Bill Gates quote; "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”, and today they are just a fast moving caterpillar.

There exists a road transport company who were “kings of the night”. Internal squabble and failure to upgrade fist led to a split of the company before rendering them a fast moving caterpillar

There exists a mineral water company whose business and legal name actually meant “mineral water” in the consumer’s mind. Failure to leverage on this powerful recognition tool has forced them to be another fast moving caterpillar.

The prime consequence of technological obsolescence is decline in the bottom-line and eventually exit from the market place ad this happens when The Boss changes taste and according to Sam Walton, “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”

With The Boss being the primary reason for business performance decline or market exit, every technological tool must respond to a want in The Boss’ voice. Some wants in The Boss’ voice include; Comfort, Celerity, Security, Self-service, Effective communication, Service personalization, One-stop-shop.

Steve Jobs puts it nicely; “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology, not the other way around.”

Ndukong Ernest Chefon: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE FAMILY TOPIC: MANAGING YOUR EMOTIONS

Ndukong Ernest Chefon:  <!--[if !mso]>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}o...:   INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE FAMILY TOPIC: MANAGING YOUR EMOTIONS BY ERNEST CHEFON NDUKONG, 15/05/2021 “I’D RATHER REGRET NOT SAYING OR...

 

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE FAMILY

TOPIC: MANAGING YOUR EMOTIONS

BY ERNEST CHEFON NDUKONG, 15/05/2021

“I’D RATHER REGRET NOT SAYING OR NOT DOING SOMETHING THAN TO REGRET SAYING OR DOING IT” –Ernest Chefon

Definitions;

-         👉Family (Household); a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head

-         👉Manage; to work upon or try to alter for a purpose

-         👉Your; of or relating to you or yourself especially as possessor

-         👉Emotion; a conscious mental reaction

Some kinds of emotions and direct impact on human behavior

Ø Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions

 

{8 Primary states, Combinations (anticipation + joy= optimism), Intensity (if unchecked can intensify)}

1)    Joy (pleasant emotional state characterized by the feeling of happiness, contentment, satisfaction, gratification, and well-being)

                                    ✔✔✔Direct relationship to mental and physical health

How and where to find joy?

-         👉Psalm 28:7

"The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving."

-         👉Psalm 34: 5

"Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces."

-         👉Psalm 15: 13

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."

-         👉Proverbs 8:32-35

"And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful. Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don't ignore it. Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home! For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord."

v ⇒TRUE AND SUSTAINABLE JOY CAN ONLY BE FOUND AND GUARANTEED IN CHRIST

 

2)    Sadness (transient emotional state characterized by feelings of grief, disappointment, disinterest, hopelessness, and a dampened mood)

                          ✔✔✔If prolonged, can lead to a depression

How to get rid of sadness?

-         👉Psalm 34:17-18

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit

-         👉Deuteronomy 31:8

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged

-         👉1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you

-         👉Revelation 21:3-4

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away

v ⇒SADNESS CAN BE EXTINGUISHED BY TRUSTING AND CASTING ALL OUR CARES ON THE LORD

 

3)    Anger (characterized by feelings of agitation, hostility, antagonism, and frustration towards others).

❓Some triggers to anger include; feeling;

-        🔁 threatened or attacked

-         🔁frustrated or powerless

-         🔁like we're being invalidated or treated unfairly

-         🔁like people are not respecting our feelings or possessions

                                    ✔✔✔Destructive consequences

How to heal from anger?

3.1)         Control your temper;

-         👉Proverbs 19:11

Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

-         👉James 1:19-20

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

3.2)        Don’t let your feelings control you

-         👉Psalm 4:4

Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.

-         👉Proverbs 16:32

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

-         👉Ephesians 4:26-27

And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

3.3)        You pray

-             👉Colossians 3:8

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

-             👉Colossians 3:12-13

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

3.4)        Forgive

-         👉Ephesians 4:31-32

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

3.5)         Love

-         👉Luke 6:35

Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.

-         👉Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

v ⇒For every minute you remain angry, you give up 60 seconds of your peace of mind, therefore DESIST

 

Conclusion

 I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them and to dominate them. -Oscar Wilde

Cameroon’s Currency, Trade Balance Crisis- Road to Economic Collapse

Cameroon’s Currency, Trade Balance Crisis- Road to Economic Collapse

BY ERNEST CHEFON NDUKONG

Initiating and effecting foreign payments in Cameroon and CEMAC in general has become so constrained that it could be likened to an attempt to “sneeze with your eyes open”. While currency crisis is literally perceived to be a decline in the value of a country’s currency, the case of the XAF (CEMAC currency) is a result of a chronic balance of payment deficit.

With political instability gradually crippling economic activities in some parts of the country and extensibly weakening the nation’s economic forte on the international scene leading to cessation or reduction in scale of exportable productive activities which are having severe adverse effects on Cameroon’s balance of payment.

The diverse tensions in the South West, North West, East and Far North regions of Cameroon have directly and negatively affected economic activities in these regions which have a trickle-down effect on the entire business environment of the country. The tensions have led to abandoned plantations, human resource exodus, closed businesses, vandalized establishments and institutions amongst others.

The direct effect of these calamities is a drop or cessation of exports such as timber, cocoa, coffee, rubber and banana amongst other exports produce and indirectly in that products which constitute raw materials for local processing before exportation cannot be served to factories for processing, thus loss of foreign earnings. It is indisputable that the loss of foreign receipts is estimated to be hundreds of billions of francs CFA yearly.

While exports have greatly reduced, imports have not changed by commensurate proportion and direction thereby creating a gap in the balance of trade and payment. A National Statistics Institute (NSI) report stated that exports fell by circa 17% in the first semester of 2018 compared to same period of 2017 while exports for 2017 dropped by 12% compared to 2016. The same report depicted an increase in imports by 8.3% at end of quarter 2 of 2018. The trend is increasingly downwards for exports and upwards for imports signaling increasing discrepancies on the balance of trade and payment which will further compound the currency crisis the country is currently facing.

While economic operators are harshly hit by the crisis, measures are being put place to mitigate the negative consequences of the crisis with GICAM proposing the following strategies to monetary authorities; “temporary suspension of the importation of some goods and the limitation of the importation of products that are more or less important. Priority should also be given to payments for the importation of products and services that are important or in strategic sectors”.

The measures suggested by GICAM arguably will reduce the negative consequences of the currency crisis, however critics wonder the long-term economic sustainability of these measures. Some wonder whether goods used to be imported when they’re not needed and how the importance of goods will be classified without the risk of bias. It is thus imperative for exhaustive diagnostics to be carried out to establish the reasons for the drop in exports and increase in imports, and lasting measures put in place to solve the problems to prevent a total and complete economic quagmire.