Rumored hike in beer prices: Nigerian brands flood Anglophone regions

In anticipation of a possible hike in beer prices and other brewery products in Cameroon, assorted Nigerian drinks have inundated some major towns in the Anglophone regions, like Kumba and Mundemba.

Cameroon's Minister of Trade and the various brewery companies in the country have recently engaged in a series of negotiations. These negotiations are a result of an announcement by brewery companies of a possible increase in the price of beer to catch up with the price of wheat and other beer products as a result of the Russian-Ukraine war.

While the government of Cameroon fears an increase in beer prices could trigger the April 2008 type street protests, the brewery companies say they can only break even if the price of beer is increased.

While the two are still to find a middle ground, local beer sellers in towns like Kumba have arbitrarily increased their prices.

This increase has triggered the flow of Nigerian beer and other brewery products into the Anglophone regions, due to the relative cheapness of Nigerian beer.

BiVoundi 24 News observes that Nigerian beer though considered contraband in Cameroon, is making its second major entry into the Anglophone regions since the Anglophone crisis' erupted.

Over three years ago, the separatists banned the sale of brasseries du Cameroon, SABC, drinks in all the Anglophone regions.

SABC initially defied the ban, until some of its trucks were destroyed, some drivers abducted, and some even killed.

Last year, the General manager of SABC held a meeting with the Meme administration to prepare for the resumption of the sale of its products in Kumba and other parts of the division.

In June of the year, the company resumed its activities in the Meme division.

A week after that, the company donated five computers to the mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy Fiango Kumba 2 subdivision, where seven students were killed a year before by unidentified gunmen.

BiVoundi 24 News further observes that following the killing of the seven students, the Government reacted by saying the school was operating illegally.

The supply of SABC drinks to the Manyu division and Ndian Division passes through Kumba

Most of the drinks from Nigeria, also get into Kumba through these two Divisions.