(Business in Cameroon) - The 4th edition of the Cameroon Investment Forum (CIF), hosted by the Investment Promotion Agency (API), concluded on April 19 in Douala with the "Investors' Night." During this event, seven companies, administrations, and institutions were honored for their contributions to promoting investments in Cameroon. Shinwinsoh Boma Donatus, the acting CEO of API, kicked off the awards ceremony by presenting the Best Investment Advisory Firm in Cameroon award to the Cameroonian firm JMJ Africa.

Led by Cameroonian legal expert, banker, and financier Patrice Yantho, JMJ Africa has played a key role in major investment projects in Cameroon in recent years. This includes involvement in projects like the construction of cocoa processing plants Neo Industry and Atlantic Cocoa, the Douala Grand Mall, the Pafic soap factory, and the Novia Industries plant, a producer of refined oil, soaps, and other food products based in the Douala-Bonabéri industrial zone. JMJ Africa, which was also involved in the Société International de ciment (SIC) project being developed in the Kribi industrial port zone and owned by Ivorian billionaire Kone Dossongui, is also advising steel giant Prometal Groupe.

Prometal Groupe, the leader in steel processing in Central Africa, received an award at the " Investors' Night ". Founder Hayssam El Jammal received the Foreign Investment Champion Award in Cameroon. With a long-standing presence in the country, Prometal Group currently operates six factories (three built in the last five years) for steel processing and agro-food product manufacturing in the industrial zones of Bassa and Bonabéri (Douala). The group is currently finalizing plans for Proalu, its 7th factory, dedicated to aluminum processing.;

Cameroonian businessman Albert Kouinché was awarded the National Investment Champion Award. As the founder of Express Union, a company dominating the domestic money transfer market with a presence in the Central African sub-region, Albert Kouinche is currently leading an industrial aquaculture project (Fish&Co), aiming to reduce Cameroon's heavy reliance on imported frozen fish. As a shareholder of Banque Atlantique Cameroun, this investor also controls the Cameroonian Equipment Company (SCE), a financial institution providing credits to clients for purchasing goods and small household equipment.

Ecogreen was honored with the Innovation in Investment Award. Specializing in plastic waste recycling, this company is led by Nassrallah El Sahely, who also heads Source du Pays, a leading mineral water brand. Cameroonian bank Afriland First Bank, a market leader ahead of foreign multinational subsidiaries, received the award for Best Financial Institution in Investment Support.

In addition to private entities, a public administration, and an international institution also received awards during the event. The General Directorate of Customs at the Ministry of Finance received the award for Best Institutional Support, while the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) was honored as the Best Development Partner.