The US Chamber and the Africa Business Initiative along with eighteen delegates from Sub-Saharan African AmChams came together to discuss common themes at the first annual AmCham Africa Summit. It’s no surprise that the meeting place for the increasingly influential business organization was none other than Johannesburg South Africa, home of the 2010 World Cup.

This coming together of nations was at the behest of President Obama’s’ Africa initiative to spur growth of exports from the continent to the United States.

It pays to do business in an ethical manner », US Embassy official tells Amcham.

“Giving a bribe, or accepting one, could turn out to be long-term time bomb that could sooner, rather than later, explode in your face.” That was the essence of what Mr. Erik Martini of the US Embassy told AmCham members in Douala on April 13, 2010.

Mr. Martini was the guest speaker at the AmCham monthly luncheon. He focused his presentation on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which the US Congress enacted into law in 1977, which makes it unlawful for US citizens and businesses to bribe foreign government officials to obtain or retain business. This law was later amended in 1998 to cover foreign firms and persons doing business with US companies.

In keeping with its primary objective to promote trade with the private sector in the United States, The AmCham in conjunction with the US Embassy Yaoundé welcomed the Illinois Trade Mission to Cameroon. Sam Ntum, a native of Cameroon and Trade Specialist for the Department of Commerce Illinois and Office of Economic Development, lead a 10 company delegation to West Africa. They first stopped in Nigeria before making their way to Cameroon.

Members of the Board of Directors and Secretary organized a meet and greet cocktail March 17th to kick off the event which turned out to be an agreeable surprise according to Ntum who had not expected the ceremonial welcome. As the evening progressed members of the trade mission expressed their eagerness to meet with AmCham members the following day to commence what hopefully would turn out to be a long and solid friendship between enterprises.

The 2014 - 2016 Board of Directors

NICHOLAS ACHIRI, CEO, PRESIDENT.

LAURE DJOUKAM, CEO, TREASURE.

EDDIE BROWN, CEO, BOARD MEMBE.

MATHIEU MANDENG, CEO, BOARD MEMBER.

ANTHONY KUME, PRINCIPAL, BOARD MEMBER.

GUY TCHENTE, CEO, BOARD MEMBER.

ROLAND ABENG, LAWYER ABENG LAW FIRM, BOARD MEMBER.

EMMANUEL SIKONPE, REGIONAL MANAGER, BOARD MEMBER.

AKIN DADA, REGIONAL MANAGER, BOARD MEMBER.

DR. DERRIN SMITH, DEP POLITICAL/ECONOMIC CHIEF, EX OFICIO BOARD MEMBER.

JOHN TAYLOR, EMBASSY BRANCH OFFICE DIRECTOR, EX OFICIO BOARD MEMBER.