5TH COMMONWEALTH TRADE AND INVESTMENT SUMMIT (CTIS)

The Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations in charge of Cooperation with the Commonwealth, H.E. Felix MBAYU, is leading Cameroon’s delegation, comprising representatives of the public and private sectors, to the 5th Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit (CTIS), holding in London, United Kingdom, from the 20 to 21 April 2026.

The opening plenary was characterised by a welcome address by the Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) Lord Jonathan Peter Marland, followed by speeches by the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; the Maltese Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Ian Borg; the Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley; and the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. All these speakers mentioned the need for the Commonwealth to turn the many challenges currently plaguing global trade, into opportunities for its 56 member countries.

In his keynote address during the plenary session dubbed “Invest in Cameroon” dedicated to highlighting Cameroon’s economic attractiveness, H.E. Felix Mbayu extolled Cameroon’s unique historical and political background, with its bijural and bicultural heritage. He posited that the country’s strategic geographical location positions it as a regional bridge and diversified economic engine connecting West and Central Africa.

The Minister equally argued that, in the face of the current challenges to global trade, marked by the failure of traditional multilateral mechanisms to deliver workable solutions, member states should move towards pluriregional frameworks such as the Commonwealth and the African Continental Free Trade Area, capable of turning fragmented neighbouring markets into coordinated trading spaces that would boost trade volume, investment, and overall economic growth for all member states.

Other speakers on the panel included the Minister Delegate at the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Mr. Paul Tasong; the Board Chair of the Investment Promotion Agency, Dr. Diane Acha-Morfaw; the Director General of Cameroon Telecommunications, Mrs. Judith Yah Achidi; and the Head of Beko Capital, Mr. Brice Beumo.

Immediately following the well-attended Invest in Cameroon Session, H.E. Felix Mbayu proceeded to sign a Cooperation Agreement with the Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), Lord Jonathan Peter Marland, giving legal status to the CWEIC Regional Hub Office for Gabon, Cameroon, Togo, and Sierra Leone. The said Agreement will enable the CWEIC Hub to play a pivotal role by supporting the government’s efforts to drive trade and investment across the country and beyond its borders.