Siméon K. Ehui, who was accompanied by Abdoulaye Seck, the Bank’s Director of Operations in Cameroon, and a number of colleagues, were at Dr Taïga’s home on 7 March 2022.

In forty-five minutes, the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries and the World Bank’s Regional Director for Sustainable Development in West and Central Africa reviewed multilateral cooperation between the livestock, fisheries and animal industries sector and the Breton Woods institution. “I have come here to understand what is at stake in Cameroon, particularly what has been close to your hearts since the outbreak of the Corona virus pandemic”, said Simeon K., President of the World Bank. Ehui.

The Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA) is working in line with the government’s major strategic orientations. For the time being, this involves the policy of import substitution through the development of local sectors. “At MINEPIA, two products are currently targeted by this policy of the Head of State. These are fish and milk”, says Dr Taiga. What’s more, the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries is encouraging private investment to achieve its objectives. In addition to the two products mentioned above, the industrialisation of the sectors and the inclusion of young people and women in the development process are MINEPIA’s main priorities. These were all answers to the other concerns of the World Bank representative, who wanted to know about the various reforms underway to develop the sector. At the end of the discussions, the Bank undertook to support MINEPIA in drawing up the Livestock Master Plan, which will integrate several aspects of livestock farming and animal industries. In particular, the document should include a pastoral management plan that will provide concrete solutions to the problems encountered by those working in the field.

The Regional Director’s mission enabled him to visit the farms of some of the beneficiaries of the Livestock Development Project (PRODEL), a project funded by the World Bank. After these visits, the Regional Director expressed his satisfaction with the project’s achievements.