Roles and Responsibilities of the Department of International Cooperation and Product Valuation with Mr. Gilbert WANGBITCHIN

About NCCB

The NCCB is the guarantor of Quality, Promotion, Cameroon Origin and the adherence to international Standards for Cocoa and Coffee. The overall vision of this body is to contribute to the fight against poverty in rural areas. Its primary mission is to regulate the cocoa-coffee sector in terms of marketing, quality and promotion of these local products.

Activities of this department

Within the framework of International Cooperation, this department has statutory bodies which take part in meetings and non-statutory organizations. Promotion, Processing and Local Consumption are also part of the activities of this department; in terms of local transformation, we particularly support stakeholders either by providing support or by carrying out training activities. To promote the products of the cocoa-coffee chains, the NCCB through this department does the mass promotion by participating in national promotional activities or international promotional activities also known as tradeshows and exhibitions.

The NCCB develops daily strategies to improve the quality of the Cameroon label. Through the effective functioning and activities of the Akwa Laboratory we ensure that at the end of the quality control phase and all the required analysis, the products (cocoa and coffee) that leave Cameroon are very high-quality products.  The NCCB participates in a number of national and international events to ensure effective best practices are exchanged and transfer of knowledge to ensure the quality of the Cameroon Label. Her participation and membership in the following events and associations facilitates this mission. The African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA), Festi-Cocoa, Festi-Coffee, Salon de l'Action Gouvernementale (SAGO), PROMOTE just to name a few. These events are promotional spaces and gives visitors an opportunity to know more about cocoa and coffee from Cameroon and taste the finished products which have these products as their base. Our participation at these national and international meetings, seminars, conferences and exhibitions opens up opportunities to raise awareness of the quality of Cameroon’s cocoa and coffee and also gives us a chance to learn best practices from same players in other countries. Mr. WANGBITCHIN, Director of International Cooperation and Product Promotion.

International Cooperation Activities

Events like Festi-Cocoa, Festi-Coffee, PROMOTE are promotional spaces that give our products certain visibility; the general public is gradually realizing that in effect these products which previously were consumed by Westerners can also be consumed by the local population and have nutritional advantages. 

These promotional spaces also help to raise awareness of the importance of brewing different kinds of coffee and the need to follow a certain procedure for different types of coffee. Among its training activities, the NCCB is committed to training baristas to ensure the perfect brewing of different types of coffee. Great Espresso, Cappuccino, Mocha just to name a few which can typically be found in cafes and coffee shops abroad surprisingly can be made the same way or even better in Cameroon using our baristas and trained staff.  

This plays a very big role especially in the coffee tasting at our exhibitions stands at these events, because poorly prepared coffee can influence the taste buds of whoever tastes it.

Management’s Management of Covid-19

At the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Director General of the ONCC called a crisis meeting, in which his closest collaborators took part. He formally instructed the implementation of barrier measures issued by the government. At the level of this department, disinfectants and masks were distributed, water tanks were placed at the entrance to ensure the frequent washing of hands. In addition, other measures that seemed beneficial were taken. In the offices where we had two employees, we established a schedule so that we could have only one employee per office. Visits are strictly prohibited.