Cameroon Seeks Japanese Investment in Cocoa, Coffee Processing

Cameroon's Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, on October 6, called for greater Japanese investment in local cocoa and coffee processing. He wants a Japanese-funded competitiveness program to help attract industrial investors, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The official made the request during talks with Koume Tomoyoshi, an industrial development official at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and head of the PICS project. The project, officially known as Promotion de la compétitivité des produits camerounais et des partenariats internationaux par le renforcement des technologies de pointe, aims to strengthen the international competitiveness of Cameroonian cocoa and coffee through advanced technologies. The three-year program is funded by Japan through a $2.2 million (approximately CFAF 1.3 billion) financing agreement signed in Yaoundé in March 2024 between UNIDO and the Japanese Embassy in Cameroon. According to the ministry, Mbarga Atangana asked that the program include an investment component, with follow-up efforts aimed at encouraging Japanese companies to establish cocoa and coffee processing facilities in Cameroon. He also requested that the program be extended for at least another three years, with the possibility of further renewal. The minister also ...