Present in Yaoundé for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, held from March 26 to 29, 2026, the Ivorian Minister of Trade, Industry, and Handicrafts, Kalil Konaté, visited the headquarters of OAPI, where he will serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors for 2026.

Welcomed by the Director General, Denis L. Bohoussou, the Minister discovered an institution committed to a thorough modernization process, serving the development of its 17 member states. OAPI is particularly focused on technological innovation, strengthening intellectual property policies, and training highly qualified human resources.

Among the flagship initiatives presented were the Master II program in Intellectual Property in Yaoundé and the Master’s program in Patent Engineering in Yamoussoukro, as well as an innovative economic model promoting the institution’s self-financing. Impressed by this approach, Kalil Konaté instructed OAPI to support national organizations in order to strengthen their financial autonomy.

Discussions also focused on the project to create 1,000 innovative businesses, aimed at supporting project leaders from the incubation phase through to the structuring of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), via a strengthened mechanism to facilitate access to bank financing.

Furthermore, the next OAPI Board of Directors meeting will be held in Abidjan. This prospect was welcomed by Minister Kalil Konaté, who expressed his satisfaction.

Overall, this mission to Yaoundé proved particularly fruitful for the Minister. It enabled him, on the sidelines of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, to conduct several high-level bilateral meetings and to reaffirm Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment on the international stage.