From Threat to Resource: The Transformation of the Perception of the Diaspora in Cameroon

Based on interviews with government officials in Cameroon and experts from international organizations, this article examines the agenda-setting of capitalizing on the diaspora’s potential for development in Cameroon. The article builds on Kingdon’s multiple streams approach (MSA) and documents the change in state perception of the diaspora, from a threat to political stability to an agent of development. While the change was structured by two ministries, international experts were instrumental in legitimizing the idea. This work reinforces the importance of ideas in the MSA and documents agenda-setting in a developing and authoritarian country of sub-Saharan Africa.