Chamber of Commerce: Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, Edisson Fru Ndi harvest big.

The elective assembly was held on the sidelines of the installation ceremony of Eken Christophe, who, in May this year, was reappointed President of the Chamber of Commerce by the Head of State, President Paul Biya.

While Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, who is Nfon of Kumba and Paramount Ruler of the Bafaw, was re-elected First Vice President of the Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Bamanda-based business magnate, Edison Fru Ndi, was elected a member of the Executive Board of the strategic State organ. 

Edison Fru Ndi had earlier during the Douala gathering also elected delegate, representing the North West Region for the Chamber.

Other members of the Executive Board include, Hamadama Mouctar, who was elected Second Vice President; Koah Songo and Ngule Meke Roger elected 3rd Vice President and Treasurer General respectively. Akoa Nee Metugu Angeline was voted Rapporteur.

Edison Fru Ndi, just like Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, who picked strategic positions during the election, are all old brooms in the Chamber of Commerce. Both personalities know the four walls of the Chamber so well, having occupied previous roles in the organ. 

Nfon Mukete has grown from the ranks in the Chamber to rise to the coveted position of 1st Vice President. 

For his part, Fru Ndi, who sits atop Dreamland Holdings, a leading business group with base in Bamenda, has served the structure at the regional level.

 In 2020, the business magnate was elected North West Regional Delegate of the Chamber of Commerce.

Inspiring journey to the top

Reacting to yesterday's re-election as 1st Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce, Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko first expressed gratitude to his peers for the renewed confidence.

The businessman and executive, who was unanimously re- elected by the 160 delegates to the gathering, said it gives him joy to serve the nation.

“I am very delighted. We have a strong team that was re-elected,” the monarch said, noting that “…personally, being elected gives me a lot of joy. It's one of those caps I truly enjoy, because it means a lot to me. My father,  the late Nfon Mukete, was also First Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce”.

He continued that: “So, sitting in this position, is almost as if it's something historical, it's something deeper for me; because I am a Senator, my father was a Senator too”.

He added that: “My father was the Paramount Chief of the Bafaw, and I am now the Paramount Chief of the Bafaw. He was First Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce.  Here I am also the First Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce. So, it's like really taking the staff and holding it high. There's a continuity. So, for me, it goes beyond just another job”.

Nfon Mukete IV said in his position as First Vice President of the Chamber of commerce, he will be playing an advisory role “trying to harness foreign direct investment, and so on and so forth”.

“I am selling the country, the image of Cameroon as a great investment destination, in spite of the difficulties. I still believe that this is a great investment destination,” he said of the country.

“So, I like to be at the forefront, pushing that agenda of promoting Cameroon as an investment destination,” he noted.

The stuff they are made of

Senator Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, it should be restated, is the Paramount Ruler of the Bafaw and King of Kumba. The monarch is a giant among Anglophones who are blazing the trail in the business world.

He is a rare breed in the business world. Nfon Mukete worked his way to the centre of business and investments across Cameroon, Africa and the world; after acquiring sound education.

Despite being from the wealthy Mukete dynasty, he has tasted success in the business world, based on his business acumen that has also opened doors for hundreds of others.  Besides being a serial international investor with interest across the globe, his presence and positive impact in the Cameroonian business environment cannot be denied.

He returned to Cameroon after his education abroad and ventured straight into the private sector. 

The First-Class traditional ruler is Honorary Turkish Consul in Cameroon and non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Australian mining giant, Canyon Resources. 

He served for 13 uninterrupted years as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United Bank for Africa, UBA, Cameroon.

He also sits on the Board of the Investment Promotion Agency, IPA. Nfon Mukete is also a Senior Advisor of Globeleq Cameroon, which runs the Bibamba Power Company, and the Kribi Power Company. Both plants are responsible for at least 30 percent of electricity supply in Cameroon.

The portfolios of his are saturated with huge investments in several countries that are powering growth and development. 

When it comes to strategic business partnerships, investments and resource mobilisation that drive growth, this accomplished banker, business executive, serial entrepreneur and revered traditional ruler, stands out.

Enter Edison Fru Ndi

For his part, Edison Fru Ndi is a household name in Bamenda in particular and the North WestRegion, due to the numerous businesses he operates in the Region, which have direct impacts on the population.

He is promoter of the first-ever high-end restaurant in Bamenda, Dreamland Restaurant, opened in the late 90’s, whose slogan, “Putting your money where your mouth is,” quickly became a catch phrase in the town.

He has also been involved in telecommunications business. The dynamic and workaholic Edison Fru Ndi later created a cabaret that was ranked the best in the CEMAC Sub-region by 2010, and a snack bar that has taken entertainment to a different level in Bamenda. He is now Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Dreamland Holdings PLC.

Dreamland Holdings PLC also carries out construction contracts and runs a two- billion FCFA-worth gravel production plant. The gravel production plant can produce 250 tonnes of gravel per hour. 

Hundreds of young Cameroonians and their families are feeding from the gravel production plant run by Edison Fru Ndi.

He has served as President of the North West Contractors’ syndicate, NOWECOSY. His tenure saw a better execution and follow-up of contracts execution in the North West Region.

In September 2020, he was overwhelmingly voted as the North West Regional Delegate of the Chamber of Commerce. 

Edison Fru Ndi’s largesse and philanthropy cannot be over-emphasised as he believes in helping the youth to grow.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3463 of Tuesday June 03, 2025