“Doing the Future Together…”
On Thursday, 11 June 2026, Douala hosts the tenth edition of the FELS Economic Forum at Malimba Dégustations & Golf Academy, in Bonapriso. Convened by the Elessa Lothin-Sen Foundation, an NGO, the forum has, over a decade, established itself as one of Central Africa’s reference platforms for economic dialogue.
This year’s theme sets a demanding tone: “Cameroon, a leading economic draw in the CEMAC sub-region? Its institutions, its actors, and the national outlook.” A genuine question rather than a slogan — one that weighs the country’s strategic potential against its structural challenges.
The Promoter’s Vision
At the heart of the forum stands Louis Deschamps Lothin Elessa, president of the Elessa Lothin-Sen Foundation and the forum’s promoter. A business-law counsel and expert consultant specialised in legal and financial engineering, he brings more than twenty years of experience across business law, insurance, finance, public procurement and asset management.
An entrepreneur as much as an adviser, he founded Groupe Lothe Consulting in 2005 and has led it ever since, advising companies, public institutions, banks and international bodies. He also champions Cameroonian production and hospitality through Malimba Dégustations & Golf Academy — the very venue hosting the event — and has invested in the country’s fishing industry. Elected president of the Cameroon Golf Federation in 2022, he joined the board of the National Olympic and Sports Committee in 2023.
Yet it is the foundation he has chaired since October 2017 that best captures his outlook. It has made economic reflection a permanent endeavour, advancing dialogue, solidarity and sub-regional cooperation. In short, Louis Deschamps Lothin Elessa embodies a modern idea of leadership — grounded in expertise, innovation and civic commitment — and the FELS Economic Forum is its clearest expression.
A High-Calibre Lineup
The forum’s strength lies equally in those who animate it. Dr Taïga, Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, attends as special guest. The keynote is delivered by Dr Roger Victor Mbassa Ndine, Mayor of Douala — an economist and planner holding a doctorate from the University of Mannheim, and a contributor to Cameroon’s major strategic frameworks.
The panel pairs institutional weight with sharp analysis: Pierre-Emmanuel Nkoa Ayissi, National Director of the BEAC for Cameroon; Charlotte Ndaw Sako, regional representative of the IFC (World Bank Group); and Professor Christian Abolo Mbita, of the University of Yaoundé II. The exchanges are steered by Olivier Kingue Molli, a CRTV economic editorialist with a quarter-century in the field.
Around them, the Executive Forum gathers decision-makers who genuinely shape the regional economy — among them the Director General of the Port of Douala, Afreximbank’s head for Central Africa, and leaders from banking and insurance — a concentrated cross-section of economic decision-making in Central Africa.
What It Delivers
For Cameroon, the forum offers an independent space to debate the real levers of attractiveness — industrialisation, infrastructure, regional integration, governance — bringing institutions and private actors to the same table and reinforcing Douala’s role as the country’s economic capital.
For participants, the value is just as tangible: direct access to ministers, the central bank, multilateral lenders and corporate leaders; high-level networking; and a strategic read on where the country is heading — all within a setting designed for genuine encounter.
Ten editions on, the Elessa Lothin-Sen Foundation reaffirms a simple conviction, captured in its signature line: “Doing the Future Together…”
An Elessa Lothin-Sen Foundation event (NGO) — “Economic reflection, an ongoing commitment.”
