(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroonian bank Afriland First Bank and the international retailer Orca, which specializes in mass distribution, have jointly set up a 20,000 m² distribution center in Mfandena, opposite the legendary Omnisports stadium in Yaoundé. The latter is one of the venues that will host the next African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2019.

The facility valued at CFA6 billion offers 85,000 trade references distributed over three floors. According to Hayssam El Jammal, CEO of Orca, it has a better chance of succeeding in Cameroon because the country “has several large cities such as Bamenda, Kribi, Douala, Yaoundé, etc. This is not the case in some other countries, such as Côte d'Ivoire, where there is only Abidjan, or Senegal with Dakar”.

For Alphonse Nafack, Managing Director of Afriland First Bank, “this project is an undeniable economic and social asset, not only in terms of the equipment it provides, but also in terms of job and wealth creation”.

In support of these comments, the Cameroonian trade minister, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, who attended the inauguration September 28, said the brand new center is sufficient proof of the country's attractiveness for investment.

S.A