Cameroon is seeking to leverage the diplomatic momentum from hosting the World Trade Organization’s 14th Ministerial Conference (CM14), held in Yaoundé from March 26 to 29, 2026.

In a letter to Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala praised the quality of the country’s organization and the engagement of Cameroonian authorities throughout the event. The WTO has formally documented the conference as successfully held in Yaoundé.

The recognition reinforces Cameroon’s image as a capable host of major multilateral events. It comes, however, in a tense global context marked by deep divisions among WTO members on several key issues.

For Yaoundé, the diplomatic challenge is twofold: highlight the success of the event’s organization while avoiding overstating its political outcomes. Although the conference helped sustain dialogue among members, it did not result in a final package of agreements adopted by consensus.

The European Commission noted after the meeting that no comprehensive deal was reached. Negotiations stalled on sensitive topics, including WTO reform, the moratorium on customs duties for e-commerce, and other issues that have now been referred back to Geneva.

Brussels pointed in particular to the lack of consensus on extending the e-commerce moratorium, which prevented the finalization of the broader package under discussion in Yaoundé.

In this context, the positive assessments directed at Cameroon remain largely tied to protocol and organization. Still, they carry weight for the authorities, who see them as validation of the country’s ability to host high-level international gatherings and provide a suitable working environment.

The next step for Cameroon will be to convert this reputational gain into more durable influence within multilateral economic forums. For now, however, the diplomatic impact of CM14 rests more on how it was organized than on any substantive breakthroughs in global trade negotiations.

Source: Business in Cameroon

France has raised concerns with Cameroon over delayed payments to French companies working on public contracts, flagging the issue as a growing strain in economic ties between the two countries.

Following talks with Cameroon’s finance minister, Louis Paul Motaze, France’s minister delegate for foreign trade and attractiveness, Nicolas Forissier, identified the issue as a key obstacle to expanding business relations.

“There is an important issue that needs to be resolved if we want to bring in more companies or build new partnerships, and that is the fact that payments are sometimes delayed,” he said.

Behind the warning is a recurring problem: late settlement of government contracts. French authorities say these delays weigh on investor confidence and make the business environment harder to assess.

Cameroonian officials acknowledge the issue, particularly in the public works sector. A senior official at the Ministry of Public Works said the state owes tens of billions of CFA francs to a French company involved in urban and intercity road projects. Such arrears have fueled concern among companies operating in the country, even as investment needs remain high.

For Paris, the issue goes beyond unpaid bills.

Faster settlement of public debts is seen as a direct way to improve the business climate. “There are always reasons, I understand that perfectly, but anything that helps eliminate payment delays also improves the attractiveness of Cameroon’s economy,” Forissier said.

France is offering to deepen technical cooperation with Cameroon, particularly in public financial management and administrative processes, to help reduce payment timelines. “France is ready to provide its expertise to find solutions that improve the business climate and encourage more French companies to invest in Cameroon,” he added.

Paris has also pointed to broader concerns about the investment environment. Forissier cited “certain uncertainties” that may be holding back economic activity, including the need for greater predictability, transparency, and clarity in regulations.

He also highlighted issues related to regulatory stability, administrative processes, and corporate taxation, suggesting that improvements in these areas would help create a more stable and attractive environment for long-term investment.

France remains a major economic partner for Cameroon. According to Forissier, it is the country’s sixth-largest trading partner, with more than 200 French companies operating locally and employing over 20,000 people.

Trade between the two countries reached nearly CFA1,000 billion (about €1.5 billion) in 2023, according to French government data. That figure was down 9% from 2022 but up 57% compared with 2015.

Over the same period, French exports to Cameroon fell 11% to CFA376 billion, while imports from Cameroon declined 9% to CFA602 billion, leaving the trade balance in Cameroon’s favor.

For France, the priority is clear: maintain strong economic ties while securing progress on payment timelines, regulatory clarity, and administrative stability—conditions seen as essential to restoring investor confidence.

Source: Sbbc

Thirty Cameroonian entrepreneurs have been selected for the 2026 cohort of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), securing a combined $150,000 (approximately 90 million CFA francs) in seed funding to support business creation and expansion. The beneficiaries were announced on Sunday, March 22, at an official unveiling ceremony in Abuja, where 3,200 entrepreneurs from across Africa were confirmed for the Foundation’s 12th cohort.

Each entrepreneur will receive $5,000, along with structured training, mentorship and access to a continent-wide business network. The initiative targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), identified as key drivers of employment and economic activity, particularly amid high youth unemployment and limited formal job opportunities.

The 30 Cameroonian beneficiaries, 12 of them women, were selected from a pool of more than 265,000 applicants across all 55 African countries. According to TEF Chief Executive Officer Somachi Chris-Asoluka, the programme maintains a success rate of over 77.5 per cent. Since its launch in 2015, the Foundation has invested $100 million to support more than 24,000 entrepreneurs across the continent. These businesses have collectively generated over $4.2 billion in revenue and created approximately 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs, highlighting the scale of SME-led economic activity linked to the initiative.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, TEF founder Tony Elumelu said the selected entrepreneurs demonstrated resilience in challenging conditions.

“We did not choose you because your path was easy. We chose you because you kept going when it wasn’t,” he said, adding that supporting entrepreneurs remains central to tackling poverty. He stressed that SMEs remain the most effective engines of job creation and urged beneficiaries to drive Africa’s economic development.

In Cameroon, TEF-backed businesses have generated more than $20 million (around 12 billion CFA francs) in revenue and created over 58,000 jobs since 2015, with more than 800 entrepreneurs supported across sectors such as agriculture, technology, retail and energy. The programme’s regional footprint extends across the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), where supported enterprises in countries including Chad, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo report revenues estimated in the tens of millions of dollars alongside significant job creation. Cameroon remains a consistent participant, with 56 beneficiaries selected in 2025, bringing the national total over the past decade to 866. For the Foundation, the continued funding reflects efforts to strengthen SME capacity, expand self-employment opportunities and reduce reliance on traditional job markets amid evolving economic conditions.

Source: Business in Cameroon