Cameroon Ministry, Council Sign Agreement for Lomié Timber Hub

Cameroon is moving to expand local timber processing with a specialized industrial park in Lomié, East Region, where 241 SMEs, social economy organizations and artisans have already expressed interest in operating. The project has the potential to generate an estimated 3,615 direct jobs and 8,500 indirect jobs. The Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts (MINPMEESA) and the Lomié Council signed a partnership agreement in Yaoundé on October 6 to establish the Lomié SMEs Wood’s Park. The facility is being developed under the Timber Sector Development Support Program, PAD-BOIS. According to MINPMEESA, the park is designed to provide businesses with shared access to modern infrastructure and equipment for different stages of timber processing. Planned activities range from sawing and drying to machining and finishing, with products including dried timber, panels, doors, windows, furniture, flooring and pallets. The project supports the government’s push to retain more value from the country’s forest resources through domestic processing. MINPMEESA says the park is expected to accelerate ...