At audience with PM Dion Ngute: WTO boss hails Cameroon’s readiness for ministerial conference.

Ngozi gave the positive assessment at the Star Building Monday. She was speaking shortly after an audience with the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Dr Chief Joseph Dion Ngute.

 Ngozi gave the positive assessment at the Star Building Monday. She was speaking shortly after an audience with the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Dr Chief Joseph Dion Ngute.

The Head of Government, the WTO Director General and their close aides, used the audience to evaluate the general preparation of Cameroon for the global gathering, which is expected to bring together at least 4,000 delegates from across the globe. 

“We discussed with the Prime Minister, Head of Government, the progress with the preparation of the ministerial conference. We are very grateful that the government of Cameroon is hosting this meeting. I think the work is progressing well,” Ngozi told reporters. 

She, however, noted that Cameroon is doing its utmost to ensure last minute details are completed for the event to unfold without any hitch and for it to have the grandeur it deserves. 

“We still have a little bit to do to make sure that the Yaounde Conference Centre is completely ready,” she stated.

The WTO Director General also used the opportunity to salute the commitment of Cameroon in addressing all challenges raised by the organization, in relation to the preparation.

“As far as I can say, Cameroon has been making strong efforts as the host country and doing everything possible to give the gathering the grandeur it deserves. Every time we have an issue and report it, is immediately attended to. That is exactly what we need,” she attested.  

Aside reviewing the state of Cameroon’s readiness for the international event, the WTO boss said yesterday’s audience also served as an opportunity for them to exchange on the substance of the upcoming ministerial conference. 

“We also discussed the substance of the ministerial conference- what are the things we are trying to achieve,” Ngozi added. 

PM Dion Ngute and Ngozi also held behind closed doors meeting, during which other details relating to the organisation of the WTO event were reviewed. 

PM evaluates preparations 

Hours before Okonjo-Iweala's arrival, the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Dr Chief Joseph Dion Ngute, carried out a marathon inspection tour of the principal hosting venues in Yaounde; to attest that final arrangements were in order. He was accompanied by Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana of the Ministry of Trade, as well as other cabinet ministers throughout the tour of the venues.

At the Yaounde Conference Centre, which will host the opening ceremony, plenary sessions, and technical deliberations, the Prime Minister found the venue largely ready. 

Display screens at the entrance of the inaugural hall were operational, with conference information already cycling through on slides. 

The hall has been arranged in the same configuration used at WTO headquarters in Geneva, according to Danyo Campanelle, head of the WTO expert delegation.

Seating for each delegation is equipped with dual microphones and electrical devices to enable full participation, with the hall also configured to support both in-person and remote engagement. 

Documentation and information services are installed at the hall's entrance, media facilities are equipped with computers while meeting rooms have been prepared to WTO standards. 

Security personnel, including gendarmerie officers, are already deployed on site. A dedicated office for the WTO Director General, already furnished with working equipment, has also been prepared at the venue ground.

At the Mont Fébé Hotel, the Prime Minister assessed the suite on the eighth floor assigned to Okonjo-Iweala, as well as accommodation for the President of the WTO General Council, who is from Saudi Arabia. The seventh floor has been allocated to the two Deputy Directors-General and other senior WTO staff.

The Concord International Hotel, a ten-storey facility, will accommodate delegations from China, India, and Russia, among others. 

Comprising 126 rooms, including 22 suites across four categories, notably prestigious, executive, premium, and standard, the hotel reportedly drew strong praise from advanced staff of several delegations, who noted that its construction and interior design reflect a sound understanding of luxury hospitality standards. 

The Prime Minister was accompanied during this leg of the inspection by Finance Minister, Louis Paul Motaze, given that the building was constructed by staff of the General Directorate of Treasury.

At the conclusion of his tour, Dion Ngute instructed contractors responsible for rehabilitation works across all sites to complete outstanding tasks within hours, with the conference now just days away.

The article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3740 of Tuesday March 24, 2026