Maize is a staple crop critical for food security and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Cameroon. However, productivity is constrained by socio-economic, agricultural, institutional and climatic factors. This study characterises maize farming systems across four agroecological zones (AEZs: Bimodal Rainfall Humid Forest, Western Highlands, Monomodal Rainfall Humid Forest and Sudano-Sahelian) and identifies key drivers of yield using data from 303 farming households collected via semi-structured questionnaires. Analyses employed descriptive statistics, Welch-ANOVA and ANCOVA. Significant zonal differences emerged in farmer demographics, including gender, education, household size, experience and income. Institutional access also varied, with extension services and credit access highest in the Sudano-Sahelian zone (89.4% and 44.7% respectively), and market access highest in the Bimodal Rainfall Humid Forest zone (93.1%). Farm sizes ranged from 0.7 to 2.1 ha and yields from 0.9 to 3.2 t/ha. Most farmers preferred local varieties, with improved variety adoption rates varying from 10.6% to 47.7%. The growing season was longest in the Sudano-Sahelian zone (21.2 weeks). Farmers in this zone avoided intercropping, while fertiliser and pesticide use was lowest in the Monomodal Rainfall Humid Forest zone (< 41%). Storage methods included polypropylene bags in the Bimodal Rainfall Humid Forest and Sudano-Sahelian zones, and traditional granaries in the Western Highlands. ANCOVA explained 61.4% of yield variance and identified farm size, credit access and economic status as significant (p < 0.05 to 0.001) positive drivers. Access to extension services showed a marginal positive influence on productivity, while household labour and Sudano-Sahelian zone had marginal negative effects (p < 0.1), with the latter likely reflecting the challenges posed by harsh arid climatic conditions. Findings highlight zone-specific challenges and opportunities, emphasising the need for targeted interventions, such as improved credit, extension services and climate-resilient practices, to enhance maize productivity and food security in Cameroon and similar Central African contexts.