With a view to contribute in promoting the Made in Cameroon brand, a delegation of fourteen World Bank economists from Washington and the Central African sub-region, under the leadership of Mr. Sandeep Mahajan, Practice Manager, met with officials of the Think do Tank "The Okwelians", an association of Cameroonian businesses, on 6 February 2023 in Douala. The President of the said association, Jacques Jonathan Nyemb, remarked that the discussions focused on the challenges and opportunities of the Made in Cameroon brand, which is key to the success of the import-substitution policy. 

The discussion session, the third of its kind, focused on the need to work towards the structuring of local, sub-regional and continental value chains.  The role of civil society and the private sector in accelerating the industrialisation of Cameroon's economy was another key subject of the discussions, especially with regard to sectoral priorities, professional training, financing and regulation policies, as well as food security and climate change. 

A number of proposals aimed at encouraging local production and the emergence of true national "champions" in Cameroon were made. In its National Development Strategy (NDS 30), Cameroon has opted for an import-substitution policy based on the country's comparative economic advantages.  Such an approach unquestionably relies on a determined and proactive policy aimed at promoting the Made in Cameroon brand. 

Source: Summary Cameroon Tribune No. 12791/8990 of 15 February 2023