Close to a thousand local and foreign enterprises are exhibiting their knowhow at the Promote fare, officially launched on Monday February 21, 2022 by the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana.
The Yaounde conference centre is booming to the sounds and rhythms of the international exhibition for enterprises, SMEs and partnerships dubbed Promote. Hundreds of visitors have since February 20, 2022 been thronging the site where SMEs from around the country and the sub region have set up stands to showcase their craft and savoir- fair to the public. From the foot of the Nkolnyada hill to its summit, huge as well as small pavilions have been set up with exhibitors displaying varied products and machinery in the hope of winning over more clients and sealing new partnerships to help foster their businesses.
Cameroon’s drive towards industrialization is no news and under the impulse of the President of the Republic, strides are ongoing to make it a reality. The Promote fare is a window through which exhibitors and government can meet and discuss ways of furthering this vision which experts hold is one of the rungs on which the country’s economic emergence hangs. From huge industrial machines through manually produced cosmetics, kitchen ware to processed food items, different items are skillfully displayed to attract potential buyers and those could be game changers regarding partnerships. Alongside SMEs are also parastatals and other government structures out to inform the public on their roles which could be beneficial in the future transactions. Other than seeking and sealing new partnerships, exhibitors are having a breathe of air after the long periods of confinement due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused enormous losses for several business owners.
Placed under the distinguished patronage of President Paul Biya, Promote, launched in 2002 has gradually become the largest economic gathering in Central Africa. According to promoters of the event, there is a decline in the number of exhibitors largely blamed on the Covid -19 pandemic and which compelled the organisers to postpone the event initially scheduled for April 2021.
Claudette CHIN
