FBPC signs agreement with SWEFA
By Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea
With a vision to make plantain the leading export product from Cameroon by 2035, preparations have been intensified ahead of the upcoming Banana-Plantain festival to be held in Buea in November 2023. This could be evident in the recent technical meeting and partnership agreement signed between the National Association of Actors of the Banana-Plantain sector in Cameroon headed by Tony Obam and the Association of former international footballers of Cameroon (SWEFA- South West Football Association).
The National President of FBPC Tony Obam in his address stated that the upcoming 2nd edition of the festival is to trigger economic growth by attracting national and foreign investments into the South West region especially along the plantain value addition chain. He added that the festival will promote tourism, socio-cultural exchanges and improve living together.
The strategic and technical meeting which took place recently in Buea brought together the legends of Cameroonian and Nigerian football to participate alongside the National President of FBPC, Tony Obam in the promotion and international influence of the second edition of the upcoming Banana-Plantain Festival. Some of the football legends who were present for the event will come as ambassadors and mascots of the international Banana-Plantain festival present. The association of former footballers of the South West, Enow Eyong, Peter Rufai amongst others were present in Buea to share ideas on how to sell Cameroonian plantain label on an international scale.
The technical meeting to plan activities ahead of the D-day was convened by the South West regional assembly and was aimed at drawing up a precise program of all the activities related to the festival as well as distributing tasks and responsibilities to the various parties and adopt a winning strategy to win over high profiled investors in order to make the event as profitable as possible.
With the trigger for the resumption of large-scale Agro-Pastoral investments in the South West region, the technical meeting which equally witnessed the signing of an agreement between the two aforementioned parties was equally in preparations for a gala match between the Nigerian Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
Also present at the event was the President of the Eastern Regional Council, Wouamane Mbelle who intends to host the fourth edition and the Rector of the University of Buea who will host a trade form of symposium on the opportunities of Banana-Plantain during the festival.
The presentation of the major articulations of the Banana festival, the concerted elaboration of the action plan, the establishment of an operational organizing committee, the adoption of a marketing and communication strategy etc was among some of the many points which the meeting centered on.
Giving his take on the partnership agreement, the Mayor of Buea, Bar. David Mafani Namange noted that partnerships help one to grow. “The footballers have shown that their talents are not limited to football. This all boils down to the aspects of nation building and living together. This is a great initiative that we can’t give a blind eye to” he opined.
The FBPC team alongside the SW Regional Assembly and the football legends paid a visit to the palace of the Paramount Chief of Buea to seek royal blessings from him ahead of the festival.
In a response message, Chief. Dr Robert Esuka Endeley stated that the initiative is a laudable one. “The presence of you all here today is an eloquent testimony of how serious this project is. Cameroon is an agriculture based economy so we are hitting the right notes. This project will feed the people of the SW region and make us economically viable”
With its mission to valorize the plantain value chain by promoting development and knowledge on the value chain segments and markets, FBPC equally seeks to strengthen the management of asserts and infrastructure and promote public, private and economic regulations that foster a conducive ecosystem for plantain.
