The first edition of the Economic Francophonie organised by the Ministry of External Relations is holding under the theme: “Leveraging the AfCFTA to integrate SMEs into Regional Value Chains”, and the first session held on Tuesday, 21 April 2026 in Douala. 

The opening ceremony was presided over by Mr. Achille Bassileken III, Minister of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicraft (MINPMEESA). The Cameroon National Shippers’ Council (CNSC) is taking part in this two-day consultation, which brings together administrative institutions and the business community to discuss issues that impede the proper functioning of SMEs. 

The event is co-organised by the CNSC, given its mandate to promote Cameroon’s foreign trade. Mr. Auguste Mbappe Penda, CNSC’s General Manager, was ably represented at the ceremony by Mr. Achil Yamen Tchendo, Technical Adviser No. 3, who highlighted some of the objectives of the gathering. “The goal is to examine opportunities offered by the AfCFTA, assess available funding mechanisms and make recommendations aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs”, he stated in his welcome address.

With about 460,000 SMEs in Cameroon representing 80% of the country’s economy, Mr. Achille Bassilekin III called on these SMEs to fully seize the opportunity offered by this session to better structure and boost the 1 billion 400 million consumer-strong economy of francophone countries.