SIARC 2026: IPA markets Cameroon’s investment opportunities to global visitors.

The international event at the National Museum in Yaounde opened on July 27 and runs until August 5. It has brought together artisans, business leaders, investors and government officials from Cameroon and abroad. 

Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute presided over the opening ceremony on behalf of President Paul Biya.

Opening the fair, the Head of Government said the state remained committed to supporting the handicraft sector through training, organisation, financing and access to markets. He said handicrafts should become a source of creation, production and innovation while contributing to economic diversification.

Following the ceremony, the Prime Minister toured exhibition stands from Cameroon’s ten regions as well as guest countries Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire. One of the stops was the IPA stand, where he was received by the agency’s Interim General Manager, Donatus Boma. 

Boma presented the agency’s missions and ongoing efforts to facilitate investment and support project promoters. During the visit, he also thanked the Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, for organising the fair and creating a platform where potential investors could interact directly with economic actors.

The Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, also visited the IPA stand. Discussions focused on the processing of investment incentive files and measures aimed at improving the handling of applications submitted by investors.

Speaking recently during the signing of investment agreements, Boma reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting investors throughout the implementation of their projects.

“We are here to apply what the Head of State has asked us to implement under the 2025 ordinance. We remain available to listen and assist whenever difficulties arise concerning the application of your agreement. If you encounter any problem with the implementation of your agreement, come back to us,” Boma said.

He also announced that the Cameroon Investment Forum will take place from November 18 to 20, 2026, in Yaounde and invited investors to participate.

Growing investor interest

IPA’s participation at SIARC comes weeks after the agency unveiled new data on investment trends in the country. On June 9, IPA and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, presented the report titled: Cameroon’s Business Climate at a Glance: Evidence from the UNIDO-IPA Cameroon Pilot Surveys of Foreign Direct Investment Enterprises. The study covered 75 foreign-invested companies employing more than 24,000 workers.

Separate figures released by IPA in May 2026 showed that nearly FCFA 1.9 trillion in realised investments and more than 16,000 direct jobs had been generated under the country’s investment incentives programme since 2014. The assessment covered 156 approved companies.

Zoom on new investment incentives regime

Another key message promoted by IPA at SIARC is the country’s revised investment incentives framework. The new regime is governed by Ordinance No. 2025/002 of July 18, 2025. IPA launched an awareness campaign around the reform earlier this year to familiarise businesses and investors with the new provisions. 

According to IPA, the ordinance reduces approval timelines, expands tax and customs incentives and extends certain benefits to public enterprises operating in competitive sectors. The reform is intended to accelerate investment implementation and improve the conversion of approved projects into realised investments.

IPA is using SIARC 2026 to engage visitors, present investment opportunities and showcase measures available to support investors seeking to establish or expand operations in Cameroon. The fair is organised by MINPMEESA under the theme: “Between Tradition and Modernity: How Can We Foster Innovation in Handicrafts?”

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3867 of Monday August 03, 2026