The General Manager of the Cameroon National Shippers’ Council CNSC), Mr. Auguste Mbappe Penda, who doubles as Chairman of the Regional Hub of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) covering Cameroon, Gabon and Togo, was delighted to receive the Vice-Chair of CWEIC Global, Rt. Hon. Lord Hugo Swire, on his maiden visit to Cameroon today 19 April 2024.

The British Statesman was accompanied by a delegation of Indian investors invited by the regional CWEIC Hub to take part in its Global Advisory Council (GAC) meeting scheduled to hold in Libreville (Gabon) and Lome (Togo) from 22 to 26 April 2024. Headed by Mr. Akshay Kumar of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the delegation from India comprised a number of companies of the pharmaceuticals, electricity, rail transport and IT sectors. Lord Hugo Swire underlined that the business network of the Commonwealth can readily provide opportunities in these sectors in Africa, and across all 56 member states of the organisation.

The series of meetings held offered an opportunity for Mr. Cham Etienne Bama, Country Director of the Hub, to elaborate on the activities of the hub towards the promotion of intra-commonwealth trade, putting forward the benefits of doing business within the Commonwealth now dubbed “the Commonwealth Advantage”. Prior to their departure to Gabon and subsequently Togo, and having made their first stop at the CNSC - a pioneer CWEIC Strategic Partner in Cameroon, the team will be visiting other SPs, amongst which the Port Authority of Kribi, which has recently launched the construction of an integrated industrial zone in the coastal city of Kribi. The working visit ended with a tour of the Douala Maritime Museum.