By the end of the 19^th century, the three Europeans powers namely Britain, France and Germany. Scramble to annex Cameroon just like the scramble of Arica, the scramble for Cameroon was necessited by economic, political and social reasons.

Economic Factors

• The British, French and Germans wanted trade monopoly in order to increase their profit.
• The various powers needed new and more markets for their product.
• They needed cheap raw materials for their industries. Eg: Rubber, palm oil etc.
• They needed fertile soils for the establishment of plantation of crops like cocoa, coffee, banana, rubber etc.
• The exaggerated reports of the riches in the territory provided by exploeres, missionaries of traders.
• Pressure mounted by European traders in Cameroon for annexation in order to protect and investment.
• They wanted to create job for the unemployment.
• Improvement in transport also led to the scramble of the territory.
• The Europeans needed labourers from Cameroon to work in plantations.

Social Reasons

• They wanted to wipe out some mal practices that existed in the territory. Eg slave trade, killing of twins, human sacrifices, female circumcism etc.
• Edusation, they wanted to improve their cultures through the introduction of an education.
• Evangelisation the missionaries to spread the word of God or the good news to the natives of Cameroon.
• Adventure many Europeans had heard about strange stories about the natives how they lied in caves.

Political Reasons

• The German joined the race in Cameroon because of balance of power in Europe.
• The British reluctant between 1879 to 1881 increased German appetite.
• Britain and Germany that were engaged in naval completion scramble for Cameroon.
• France wanted to compensate the lost of Alsace and Lorraine.
• The French treaties with the chiefs of southern coast of Cameroon such as king Pass All of Mlimba.
• The patriotic feeling among the European nationalist in Cameroon who wanted to be under the control of their national government.