The second phase of the capacity-building programme for women of the cassava sector under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is underway in Mbangassina, a village in the Centre Region of Cameroon.

This programme was launched by the Cameroon National Shippers' Council (CNSC), a technical partner of the Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts (MINPMEESA). The CNSC kicked off the programme's second phase on 23 September, with capacity-building sessions attended by about fifty women at the Mbangassina village hall.

Key activities during the sessions included some presentations and hands-on training on selected farms.  On the first day, the Head of CNSC's Export Assistance Service, Mrs. Armelle Belibi Makasso, delivered a presentation on "Women in the AfCFTA". Her presentation was quickly followed by that of Mr. Junior Sone Makoge, Assistant Service Head for Import Assistance, who outlined export procedures under the AfCFTA regime.

These training workshops, scheduled to run through to 28 September 2024, mark the first of four stages that make up the project's second phase to boost the production and processing capacities of female entrepreneurs in the cassava sector within the AfCFTA.