Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Gabon, Sao Tomé and Principe 21-29 November 2024
All Central African countries share the same objectives despite their differences in GDP and population size: develop new value chains, lower dependency on imports and create new jobs. In line with these goals, UNIDO ITPO Germany mobilized 15 participants from German and international companies that offer solutions for the upscaling of agriculture, for food processing and for sustainable infrastructure. Among the participating companies were global brands such as Bosch, GEA, RIELA and WILO. The mission was organized in close cooperation with the UNIDO Regional Office in Yaoundé, Cameroon and with UN agencies in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Sao Tomé and Principe.
Equatorial Guinea 21-23 November
Equatorial Guinea, a country with vast fossil resources, aims to diversify its economy. Supported by the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in Malabo, the delegation met with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Agency for Development to discuss strategies and technologies for industrial upgrading and new value chains in agri-business. Upon the invitation of the Chamber of Commerce to a networking event, local companies, sector organizations and women’s business associations presented investment projects to the delegation and discussed technological solutions. Interest in the delegation was so big that follow-up B2B meetings lasted well into Saturday afternoon.
Cameroon 24-25 November
Cameroon has a thriving entrepreneurial landscape that constantly innovates to keep up with growing demand. At an investment round table, local entrepreneurs from the food industry presented opportunities in the sector and connected with participants. The meeting was attended by mayors from across the country, who promoted investment projects in their towns. At a reception organized by the German Embassy, members of Cameroon’s diaspora in Germany presented their successful investment projects in this Central African nation. In order to ease the access to finance, UNIDO ITPO Germany collaborated with German development agency GIZ to organize a financing workshop with representatives of several financial institutions, which was attended by 150 Cameroonian companies. After informing themselves on how to obtain favorable financing conditions, the local companies held individual B2B meetings with the delegation to discuss the options for technology transfer.
Gabon 26-28 November
Resource-rich Gabon strives to diversify the economy from a traditional focus on oil and gas to the creation of modernized agriculture, food processing and energy/water supply infrastructure. UNIDO ITPO Germany cooperated with the Chamber of Commerce of Gabon to identify investment projects and suitable local partners for technology transfer. Around 100 local companies attended the financing workshop at the Gabonese German Investment Forum to learn about export credit guarantees, commercial loans and support programmes. Following back-to-back meetings with the members of the delegation allowed Gabonese entrepreneurs to inform themselves about suitable technologies and to discuss joint projects. The delegation was also invited by two of the country’s leading food producers to explore ways to solve Gabon’s dependency on food imports.
Sao Tomé and Principe 29 November
As a small island developing state, Sao Tomé and Principe faces a set of unique challenges that include the production of affordable, clean energy, the creation of reliable supply chains and the manufacturing of value-added products. Representatives of German technology companies went to the island of Sao Tome to discuss solutions adapted to his particular environment with local stakeholders and entrepreneurs. At a B2B organized by business incubator REINA, local investors discussed their projects, which include a new bottling plant and fruit processing. The delegation also explored investment opportunities with the director of the national investment promotion agency and learned about projects in the energy sector, where UNIDO has played a leading role in building institutional capacity.
