The Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) Hub for Cameroon, Gabon and Togo, which welcomed H.E. Felix Mbayu, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in charge of Commonwealth Cooperation, today, 16 February 2024, is hosted at the CNSC head office building in Douala.

The Statesman was received by the Chairman of the Hub, Mr. Auguste Mbappe Penda, who doubles as General Manager of the Cameroon National Shippers’ Council (CNSC), a pioneer CWEIC Strategic Partner in Cameroon.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the hub recognized the visionary leadership of the Minister Delegate and the key role he played in the establishment of the CWEIC Hub in Cameroon. He seized the opportunity to look back on their journey so far citing the Commonwealth Business Forum in 2018 where the initiative was born, the creation of the MINREX-CNSC platform in 2021, and the effective launch of the CWEIC Hub in April 2023.

Taking the floor, H.E. Felix Mbayu first of all remarked the hospitality accorded him by his host, and the sense of opportunity which brought about the creation of this major business and coordination support desk, hoping to make the most of the commonwealth advantage for an inclusive and sustainable development. He underlined the need for partners to be resilient and patient saying “every obstacle is an opportunity for those who can see through it”.

This working visit is the very first meeting that brought all 12 Strategic Partners in Cameroon around a discussion table, along with diplomatic representatives from Gabon and Togo, both new members of the Commonwealth of nations. The fruitful deliberations and striking recommendations that ensued foretell the promising future the CWEIC Hub for Cameroon, Gabon and Togo holds for its Strategic Partners.