Ahead of Cotton, Clothing & Textile Exhibition: SMEs minister engages Islamic Centre for Development of Trade.

The discussions were held during an audience granted the ICDT DG. The audience was held in Yaounde September 25.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Economic and Investment Forum dubbed ICDT Invest Days. The event was held in Yaounde from September 24 to 25.

The forum, which was held on the theme: “Investing in the new Cameroon, land of attractiveness”, was organised by the ICDT and the Investment Promotion Agency, IPA of Cameroon.

According to MINPMEESA, the audience was held to discuss how the ICDT can better support and promote the crafts industry, as well as the implementation of MINPMEESA's priority sector projects geared towards the structural transformation of the Cameroonian economy.

MINPMEESA cited agri-food, wood processing, cotton, textile, clothing and leather as some of its priority sectors.

Speaking to the press after the audience, Latifa El Bouabdellaoui, expressed gratitude to Minister Bassilekin III for the meeting and assured that the institution she heads is ready and willing to collaborate with the country for the betterment of its economy.

About the ICDT

The ICDT is one of the seven subsidiary organs of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC which Cameroon has been a member of since 1974.

Among others, the ICTD is tasked to promote trade between Member States by organising trade fairs and exhibitions with a view to contribute to the promotion of products from Member States. 

It also seeks to encourage contacts and networking between economic operators from Member States by offering them the opportunity to organise symposiums and training seminars for participants from Member States. 

The ICDT equally has as part of its mandate to contribute to the dissemination of trade information and intelligence between Member States and undertake studies and research aimed at promoting trade between Member States.

The centre also has a role to play in assisting Member States in setting up national organisations or associations for the promotion of trade.

After Dakar, Nouakchott and Banjul, Yaounde is the fourth capital city to host the ICDT Invest Days. 

As explained by the Interim Director General of the IPA, Boma Donatus, the Yaounde Investment confab was particularly to highlight new investment opportunities in Cameroon, seek new investors and strengthen economic relations between the country and the 56 other OIC Member States.

It was organised a few days after the 50th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, which Cameroon hosted on August 29, and 30, 2024. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3242 of Friday September 27, 2024