University Massification and the Paradox of Graduate Unemployment in Cameroon: The Case of the University of Buea

Abstract

Over the last two decades, the higher education sector in Cameroon has undergone rapid massification, dramatically increasing the volume of university graduates. Concurrently, the nation is grappling with a severe socio-economic paradox: soaring rates of graduate unemployment amidst persistent employer complaints of talent scarcity. This study investigates this paradox within the context of the University of Buea (UB). Anchored in a tripartite theoretical framework—Human Capital Theory, Signalling Theory, and the Job Competition Model—this research adopts a Pragmatist, Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Design (QUAN $\rightarrow$ qual). Quantitative data was collected via stratified random sampling of recent UB graduates ($N=400$), while qualitative data was derived from purposive semi-structured interviews with Cameroonian Human Resource Managers ($N=15$) and UB administrators ($N=10$). Descriptive statistics reveal a critical 62.5% un/underemployment rate among respondents. Furthermore, Multiple Linear Regression analysis proves that a structurally induced lack of practical training is the strongest predictor of this unemployment ($\beta = -.415, p < .001$). Reflexive Thematic Analysis of qualitative data explains this statistical failure: massification has induced severe bureaucratic paralysis at UB, forcing an over-reliance on theoretical pedagogy. Consequently, employers have lost trust in the mass-produced Bachelor's degree as a reliable signal of competence, triggering systemic credential inflation and pushing state university graduates to the back of the labor queue. The study concludes that transitioning from mass enrollment to mass employability requires the urgent operationalization of the Triple Helix Model, mandating institutionalized University-Industry Partnerships to co-design curricula and facilitate practical immersion.