This initiative was made known, during the just ended 4th edition of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Series, which took place in Douala, September 27, 2024.This initiative is actually a project that was established by UBA, through which it hosts regular seminars for small and medium-sized enterprises to be educated, trained on certain problems that have effect on their activities.During this seminar, experts focused discussions under the theme " Financing the logistics and transport sector in Africa, the solution that comes from UBA and the African Continental Free Trade Area(AFCFTA ), providing financial solutions". The African Continental Free Trade Area and the United Bank for Africa, has endorsed an agreement to provide financing assistance of approximately $4 billion over the nexth-three years to boost commerce across the African continent. By this partnership endorsed on the sidelines of the 30th Afreximbank annual meeting, both entities are to enhance the development of small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the four sectors : Agro-processing , automotive, transport and logistics and pharmaceutical.These sectors according to economic experts,are considered as import-substitution,that will enable the country and the gov't to stop spending high amount of money  that is approximately morethan Cfa 5 billion on the importation of raw materials extracted from these sectors.One of the main key initiative of UBA and AFCFTA is to facilitate acess to finance and markets for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, to encourage their contribution to the socio-economic development of Africa. It should be recalled that, in general, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises sector employes morethan 20% of the population: in the domain of health, education, Agriculture, transport. According to the National institute of statistics, SMEs contribute in ammeliorating the living conditions of citizens by creating jobs.

Christelle Koambi