World Trade Organization: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is in Yaoundé ⁰

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Nigerian Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), arrived in Yaoundé on May 25, 2025. Her visit is part of the preparations for the organization’s 14th Ministerial Conference.

During her visit, the WTO Director-General is scheduled to meet with Cameroonian authorities and economic operators to outline the terms of reference for the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference. The high-level event is slated to take place in Yaoundé from March 26 to 29, 2026.

The visit will also include the signing of an agreement between the WTO and Cameroon, detailing the responsibilities and cost-sharing arrangements for organizing the conference.

Cameroon was initially chosen to host the 13th WTO Conference in 2024 but subsequently withdrew from organizing it following “an arrangement” with the United Arab Emirates. Instead, Cameroon positioned itself to host the 2025 edition, a decision ratified during a December 19, 2022, meeting of WTO member countries in Geneva, Switzerland.

The WTO Ministerial Conference is a world-class event, typically drawing thousands of delegates and international trade stakeholders from the WTO’s 164 member countries. This major gathering serves as a forum for WTO members to discuss global trade policy and reforms. Cameroonian authorities have hailed the hosting of this event as a diplomatic victory for the nation.

Source: Business in Cameroon