In a significant step toward strengthening regional economic cooperation, the Republic of Chad and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea have been appointed to key leadership positions within the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) Chambers of Commerce.
During elections held in Libreville, Chad secured the presidency, with Ali Adji, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture, Mines, and Handicrafts of Chad (CCIAMA), elected as the first President of the Federation of ECCAS Chambers of Commerce (FCC-AC). Meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea was awarded the vice-presidency, with Benjamín Evita Oma, Vice President of the Continental Region Chamber of Commerce, assuming the role of First Vice President in charge of International Cooperation, Resource Mobilization, and Relations with High Institutions.
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The electoral process saw two tied rounds of voting, with each country receiving five votes. In response, ECCAS allocated the presidency to Chad and the vice-presidency to Equatorial Guinea.
The FCC-AC is set to play a crucial role in coordinating the actions of member states’ chambers of commerce, promoting intra-regional trade, and attracting investments to strengthen the private sector. Under this new leadership, the organization aims to enhance business capacities, improve the economic landscape, and facilitate commercial exchanges across the region.
This leadership shift comes at a time of growing regional integration efforts, and the combined expertise of Chad and Equatorial Guinea is expected to inject new momentum into ECCAS’s mission of fostering economic growth and collaboration across Central Africa.
