Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire Plan Visa Waiver to Deepen Business Ties

Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire are preparing to sign a visa exemption agreement, a measure that could ease travel between the two countries and support closer economic ties.

Cameroon’s ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, Marie-Yvette Koloko, announced the plan on May 28 in Abidjan during celebrations for Cameroon’s National Unity Day, according to the Ivorian Press Agency.

Koloko said the measure is part of broader cooperation between Yaoundé and Abidjan in trade, investment, transport, education, culture and security. It also reflects a shared effort to make travel easier for citizens and give new momentum to economic exchanges.

No date has been announced for the agreement to take effect, and the two governments have not yet released the practical terms. Still, a visa waiver would reduce administrative barriers and make travel easier for businesspeople, investors, tourists and members of the Cameroonian and Ivorian communities.

The economic stake is clear. Evariste Yapi Koffi, secretary-general of Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented the Ivorian government at the ceremony and urged Cameroonian businesses to explore opportunities under Côte d’Ivoire’s 2026-2030 National Development Plan. The plan will guide the country’s economic, social and sector policies over the next five years.

For Cameroonian entrepreneurs, easier travel could help with market research, business meetings, trade fairs and new projects in one of West Africa’s main economic hubs. It could also encourage more Cameroonian companies to set up in Côte d’Ivoire and strengthen links between the two countries’ business communities.

The plan comes as trade ties between the two countries already have a solid base. According to Cameroon’s 2024 foreign trade report from the National Institute of Statistics, African countries accounted for 10.9% of Cameroon’s total import spending. Côte d’Ivoire ranked as Cameroon’s second-largest African supplier after Nigeria, with 1.2% of total imports.

Beyond trade, the removal of visa requirements would send a political signal in favor of African integration. It would fit with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which seeks to increase trade within Africa by reducing barriers that still limit the movement of goods, services and businesspeople.

For Yaoundé and Abidjan, the goal is twofold: make travel easier and create stronger conditions for economic cooperation. If the agreement is signed and applied, it could help increase trade, encourage cross-border investment and bring two major economies in Central and West Africa closer together.

Patricia Ngo Ngouem