YAOUNDE, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Cameroon International Mining and Exhibition Convention opened on Thursday in the Cameroonian capital of Yaounde.
The three-day event, now in its fourth edition, aims to promote sustainable investment in the mining sector in Central Africa with Cameroon as the hub, according to the country's Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, the organizer of the event. The gathering attracted mining professionals and officials from Africa, Europe and Asia.
While presiding over the opening ceremony, Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute said Cameroon has significant mineral resources that are largely underexploited.
Cameroon is seeking to transition from a country with mining potential to a mining-producing country, and is initiating reforms to attract investment, Ngute added. "Measures have been taken to encourage semi-mechanized artisanal mining at the expense of inactive exploration licenses. By 2023, Cameroon had launched four industrial mining projects. In 2024, this approach will continue with four additional projects."
In 2019, Cameroon announced that it had discovered 300 new mineral mines across the 10 regions of the country. ■