In the following interview, Dr. Fuh Calistus Gentry, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Mines, Industries and Technological Development, states the stakes of the ongoing mining forum in Yaounde and its expected outcome.

What are the stakes of the ongoing mining forum in Yaounde?

We want to let the world know the huge potentials of our country in terms of mining, the state of advancement of our mining projects as well as bring in investors who will take up new ventures in the unexplored territory. There is a wide-range of experts from around the world who will interact with our geologists and other mining experts in the country so as to get them abreast with current mining trends in the world. This is also an opportunity for companies that are advanced in their mining development to showcase their findings. Reason why there are stands at the forum site for companies to exhibit their products.

There will also be several presentations by different participants; some national and others international guests, which will allow an exchange on what we offer and what we can learn. Of course, at the end of the day, we are trying to attract many more investors into the country.

So much is being said about huge mineral potentials of the country. What are they and how far have we gone with their exploitation?

The potentials are indeed huge. We have iron ore deposits where we are negotiating a convention, we have bauxite and we are also negotiating a convention. There is gold, manganese, nickel, cobalt, diamond and uranium, among others. Companies operating in Congo are looking up to us to initiate the infrastructure which will allow them to evacuate their produce because their mines are located in the northern part of that country which is just a few kilometres from us. If our railway were to start, they will find it shorter, about a 100 km, but if they were to start a new railway line, it will not take them less than 1,000 km.

What is the expected outcome of this forum?

We hope that at the end of the day, we would have sold our huge mineral potentials. Much of these potentials are not yet known. So, we believe that as we continue exposing the country internationally, people will come out to add to the deposits we know. We hope our geologists and other national experts will learn from the experts that have been invited.