At launch of Pro Meet Up 5th edition: Stakeholders seek ways to boost dev’t through integrator corridors transformation.

This is the focus of the 5th edition of the Pro Meet Up, PML5, which was launched June 1, 2026 in Yaounde. It is under the theme: “Central Africa 2035: Integrator Corridors, Catalysts for the Development of Sub-Regional Value Chains”. 

The launching ceremony of Pro Meet Up, a platform which serves as regional podium for strategic dialogue, was presided by the Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, representing the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Dr Chief Joseph Dion Ngute. 

It was in the presence of the Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III, among other government and private sector top brass.

According to the Pro Meet Up institution, this year’s edition has as objective to create a strategic framework for consultation, guidance, co-construction, and the development of structuring pilot projects, aimed at positioning integrative corridors as catalysts for the development of sub-regional value chains and sustainable economic integration in Central Africa, relying on an initial reference pilot corridor whose methodological architecture is designed to be replicated and expanded.

It is also aimed at identifying projects with high economic and logistical impact; structuring regional pilot industries and activities based on the comparative advantages of the States; defining the institutional, technical, and operational mechanisms necessary for their implementation; fostering synergies between States, the private sector, and technical partners; accelerate local transformation and intra-regional trade. 

PML5 also seeks to promote innovative solutions for trade facilitation, payment, and regional connectivity; mobilise stakeholders around a regional dynamic of inclusive and shared growth and build an open framework allowing any strategic corridor to join the initiative according to a common and validated methodology

Speaking during the launching, the Chief Executive Officer of PML, Carole Mbessa Elongo, said the pre-existing corridors have been creating value all along, but added that: “It is time to move to new generations of corridors, namely those that allow for the local transformation of products and raw materials and the structuring of sectors in our subregion”.

“This will enable us address not only our local market, but also the vast market of opportunities represented by the AfCFTA with 1.4 billion inhabitants, therefore a significant consumer potential,” she noted.

Mbessa Elongo stated that: “We believe that we must play our role at the private sector level, creating dynamics aimed at orchestrating everything that is developed by our political, strategic national and subregional authorities, so that we can operationalise this vision which is not ours, but that of the Heads of State, our leaders and our governments”.

“We think that, at some point, it is time to go the extra mile. We talk a lot. What we promote at this fifth edition is the integration of our subregions, gathering all our energies to move forward. Now it is time to set concrete action. We believe that developing industrialisation across our countries can ensure that we do not only talk about development, but actually achieve it,” she said.  

In a keynote address, Mike Ogbalu, Chief Executive Officer of Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, PAPSS, of Afieximbank, speaking on the challenges of facilitating intra-African payments, integrating African financial systems, and accelerating trade within the framework of integrative corridors, said payment affects trading significantly and in a number of ways.

“If payment is expensive, that means people will pay less and they will trade less. If payment takes a longer time, that means they will have less time to turn around their inventory. Take a trader in Nigeria who buys Senegalese materials; if it takes three days to confirm payments, that means he or she will have fewer days to be able to make her sales,” he said.  

He thus added that: “Payment is critical when you talk about trade. What we have done is to look at all the challenges with payments, from the cost of payments and the time it takes, to meeting global and international standards”. 

CEMAC joins PAPSS through BEAC

Mike Ogbalu also announced that CEMAC and BEAC have joined PAPSS.

“Now that the CEMAC region and BEAC have become members of PAPSS network, we need commercial banks to immediately begin connecting to the platform and integrating their digital channels. We want payments on the continent to be as simple as sending an SMS,” he stated. 

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, said the theme of this year’s Pro Meet Up reiterates the urgency to build corridors that are resilient and competitive. 

Stating that transport sector plays a key role in subregional trade and integration, Minister Ngalle Bibehe added that corridors constitute veritable strategic means for economic development. 

The minister said the government of Cameroon has been following up infrastructure development to boost subregional integration in sectors such as ports, railway and digitalisation of ports and logistics procedures. 

He noted that with the numerous challenges, there is the need to ameliorate competitivity and enhance transport safety. Year’s event also featured various roundtables and panel discussions. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3805 of Tuesday June 02, 2026