Colonial hangover and institutional bricolage processes in forest use practices in Cameroon

Institutional bricolage continues to attract scientific and policy interest, especially in appreciating natural resource management outcomes. However, contemporary bricolage processes in forest-abundant countries where state rules interact with customary rules that have been, at least, partially shaped by different colonial agents, remain relatively less explored. This intriguing setting relates to Cameroon, where growing inefficiency in forest use has often been connected to colonial hangover. Using document analysis, key informant interviews (45) and focus group discussions (4) from 8 communities around the Bakossi and Santchou protected areas in Cameroon – shaped respectively by British and French colonial influences respectively, this paper sheds light on the colonial undertone in customary and state institutional provisions, and explores bricolage manifestations in timber and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) subsectors. The paper also discusses alliances of convenience created, their outcomes and policy implications. Through narratives and thematic analysis, the paper reveals differentiated bricolage manifestations. While actors in Bakossi justify NTFPs harvesting on their customs, those in Santchou draw from state laws to exploit and commercialize NTFPs. Timber exploiters draw upon state and customary rules to harvest and commercialize timber, in the guise of exploitation for community service. While traditional rulers in Bakossi affirm their authority in regulating timber exploitation, those of Santchou depend on alliances with conservators to assert authority. State and community actors exploit the unspecified home consumption quota for NTFPs, to exploit and commercialize NTFPs. The results provide new insights in appreciating the complexity with regards to the relative influence of customary and state rules, and forest use practices in former British and French colonies. This paper suggests that Cameroon's forest policy revision should clarify the exploitation quota for timber and NTFPs, for community service provision and home consumption respectively. Furthermore, clarifying applicable customary rules and ratifying them at district level is imperative to check against powerful bricoleurs.