Investment Promotion Agency: Facts & figures that speak!.

Despite strengthening the institution’s performance, stepping up Cameroon’s attractiveness as a productive investment destination, those who see white and call it black, have been racing shamelessly to put stumbling blocks on his path.

The level-headed and pragmatic Boma Donatus, who has stayed true to the assignment given him in serving the investment interest of the country, has despite attacks, continued to shock doubters, detractors and prophets of doom.

The performance of IPA, since December 2023, when Boma took over as interim General Manager, has continued to spiral upwards, pushing Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, to levels never imagined; especially in sectors that need huge investment.

Such tacit results have been worked out in a competitive market place wherein globally, every country is battling to get the attention of foreign investors. 

The IPA, under Boma Donatus’ leadership, has remained productive, harvesting billions through national and international engagements.

Tangible results of such tireless work done by Boma and his team are feasible through investments that have either taken off or Memoranda of Understanding, MoUs, that speak of the certainty of the country’s resilience and investment climate.

Matchless strides of just yesterday

Amid the noise and blackmail from certain quotas, facts and figures show Boma, who is rarely seen outside the brackets of his duties, led the IPA to triumph in 2025.

On the international scene, he guided the IPA to active participation at some of the world’s most sought-after gatherings of investors. 

In total, Cameroon marketed its potential at 15 of such premium congregation of global investors. 

Among them were: the 14th Annual Investment Meeting, AIM, in Abu Dhabil; the Africa Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Forum in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; the India-Africa Business Conclave in New Delhi and the 4th United Kingdom, UK Francophone West and Central Africa Trade and Investment Forum, WCAF IV, in Togo. 

Concrete achievements from the international ventures included; the signing of four Memoranda of Understanding with international organisations specialising in investment. 

Some of the MoUs were with the AIM Foundation, AIMA, the Indian Global Investment Consortium and Cobo Square. 

Boma and his team also used the international engagements to bolster channels and standards for raising foreign capital to drive investment and development back home. 

There is also data to show that thanks to a robust international presence, the IPA reached 368 foreign investors who took interest in destination Cameroon. 

Across the national territory, the Boma-led IPA also stayed top throughout 2025. It answered present at 19 events to market choice investment options and market. 

At the national level, the IPA participated in 19 promotional events and reached at least 50,000 persons with accurate information on domestic investment guidelines and innovations.

Over 56 new projects, 14 project extensions

Authors of doom and foes of Cameroon’s progress have in all their diatribes, turn a blind eye on other facts and figures that show the formidable work of Boma and team at the IPA.

Documentations at the level of IPA show that one of its most prized achievements are 56 new projects and 14 others that recorded extensions.

In this light, it signed 70 investment agreements that showed over 7.4 billion FCFA had been pumped into building wealth, creating jobs and powering the country’s development.

Consolidating investments and bringing new partners on board in 2025 amid a difficult global climate, economists say, make the IPA a key accelerator in the country’s National Development Strategy, 2020-2030, SND30.

26 additional amendments sealed, 350,000 jobs in view

Still in the harvest basket of the IPA, under Boma’s leadership in 2025 are 26 additional amendments that were made to investment undertakings nationwide.

Officials at the IPA state that the aggregate of its work in 2025 alone are capped with a direct job creation potential of 350,000. 

This alone, officials say, positions the IPA at the heart of President Biya’s commitment to empowering young people, women and supporting the country’s structural transformation agenda.

Special assistance to 250 investors 

Being the government Agency charged with giving investors a top class feel of Cameroon’s hospitality and conduciveness for business, Boma and the IPA team were at the airports constantly throughout 2025.

In this light, IPA offered special assistance to 250 investors upon arrival in Douala and Yaounde. The team helped to address administrative concerns and eased the fluidity of treating files.

Present at port, industrial zones 

When it comes to institutional involvement, the IPA has a constant presence at the country’s ports and industrial zones. Its work with vital public institutions also accounts for the volume of trade, especially at ports.

In 2025 for instance, the IPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the Douala Port Authority, PAD. 

It also struck a three-year action plan with MAGZI, to ensure the development of industrial zones is done in an orderly manner.

Authorities at the institution said the constant footprints of the IPA in such structures is to ensure the respect of timelines in project implementation and maintaining the friendliness of the country’s business climate.

Results-based innovations

Boma is a good student of the saying that ‘necessity is the mother of invention’. Thanks to his spirit of revolutionalising work at IPA, he created two new departments.

These are the Monitoring, Evaluation and Strategy Division, and the Investment Promotion Department. His team says the Interim GM instituted the departments as part of his management style that focuses on delivering results.

The IPA has also adopted a more transparent administrative structure, integrating entities specialising in institutional communication, local and international promotion, cooperation, monitoring and evaluation, and bilingualism. 

Social security of staff, families 

In addition to his uncompromising stance in ensuring the IPA serves Cameroonians, Boma is also particular about staff wellbeing. 

The Investment Promotion Agency, under Boma, has registered all its staff with the National Social Insurance Fund, NSIF.

Baseless attacks on Boma

Since the start of 2026, the workaholic IPA Interim General Manager has come under multiple clearly-sponsored media attacks. 

Such arrows, observers say, are not uncommon in the Cameroonian context wherein people undertake campaigns to smear the image of public servants who serve the nation selflessly.

The attacks, it is reported, have been tied to Boma’s towering achievements at IPA. Persons with vaulting ambition, it is being said, are said to be those fabricating unfounded stories with the goal of distabilising the serenity reigning at IPA. 

But like old wine that only gets better with time, Boma Donatus is only getting better with regards to service delivery, efficient and transparent management. 

He has remained the captain mirroring the merits of Cameroon’s attractiveness to investors within and without, powering development and growth in uncommon ways.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3681 of Thursday January 22, 2026