Françoise Foning (1949 – 23 January 2015) was a Cameroonian businessperson and politician for the
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM). She began a career in business at age 12, opening a restaurant before entering into the tourism, transportation, food, medical and education sectors. Foning became president of CPDM's women's division in 1992 and was appointed the party's leader in
Douala
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport (DLA), it is the com ...
and the national committee five years later. In 2002, she was elected deputy mayor of Douala II and began serving in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
that same year. Foning led the African Network and Cameroonian Businesswomen and consulted
The World Bank
The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development G ...
, the
African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies ...
along with several international agencies. She was founding president of the Association of Cameroonian Businesswomen and the NGO World Female Company Managers. A street in Douala was named in her memory.
Biography
Foning was born in 1949 to a modest
Bamileke family in Cameroon's western region of
Menoua
Menoua is a department of West Province in Cameroon. The department covers an area of 1,380 km and as of 2019 had a total population of 276,000. The capital of the department lies at Dschang.
Subdivisions
The department is divided adminis ...
.
She did not have a proper background,
and did not enroll at university but learnt English and French.
After encouragement from her family to work, she went into tourism at age 12 in
Douala
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport (DLA), it is the com ...
, the Southern Cameroonian port city.
In 1966, Foning began a business career by establishing the restaurant New Style to earn extra money.
She diversified into the transportation industry by purchasing 2 taxis from the Japanese car manufacturer
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
,
expanding to 150 by 2005.
Foning added the gravel company Les Graviers Unis, and the Socamac food and Ovicam export-import companies and the Anflo furniture company to export to Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
and the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
She joined the Cameroonian Ministry of Tourism as a civil servant in the 1970s before deciding to focus on her business career. Foning brought a medical clinic in Dschang
Dschang is a city located in the West (Ouest) Province of Cameroon, with an estimated population of 87,000 (est) in 2001, growing dramatically from 21,705 recorded in 1981. The 2006 Population is estimated to be 200,000 inhabitants.
Dschang is th ...
and established the school Collége de la Faternité in the city. This led the government of Cameroon
The Republic of Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; ...
and the local authorities of Foning's home region to award her with honours for her activities. The kingdom of Bamun granted her the title of ''Nijh'' and Menoua's Bafou community crowned her as its queen. Foning also received the Grand Officer Order of Merit. At Douala in 1992, she was appointed president of the women's wing of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM). Foning became president of the CPDM in Douala and its national central committee in 1997, following a 1996 reform by the political party to allow women to lead sections of the party. She was close to Chantal Biya, the wife of Paul Biya
Paul Biya (born Paul Barthélemy Biya'a bi Mvondo; 13 February 1933) is a Cameroonian politician who has served as the president of Cameroon since 6 November 1982. , the president of Cameroon
The president of Cameroon is the executive head of state and de facto head of government of Cameroon and is the commander in chief of the Cameroon Armed Forces. The authority of the State is exercised both by the President and by the Parliament. ...
, and the two worked at the Foundation Chantal Biya.
In 2002, Foning was elected the deputy mayor of Douala II, and began serving in the National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
that year. She focused on helping the young, building power lines, health centres, roads, schools, eliminating illness and organising funeral services. In June 2003, she was involved in the signing of a "partnership convention" to train Douala's "bendskin drivers" at professional driving schools. Foning was involved in a car accident a month later. which fractured both her legs on the Douala-Bafoussam road in Nomayos I in Cameroon's Centre region, and caused her to be flown to France for medical attention on the orders of Paul Biya.[ The accident meant she walked with a limp.][ She was named African manager of the year in 2004.] In 2005, Foning was elected president of the World Association of Women Entrepreneurs, having been its vice-president since 1996. Later that year in October, she became the first black woman president of the NGO World Female Company Managers (WFCL).
Foning lost her seat in the 2007 Cameroonian parliamentary election by securing 41 per cent of the vote over the winning candidate's who garnered 48 per cent of votes. Although she was accused of embezzling money from the municipal government, she was re-elected to the National Assembly in 2009. Foning left her role as president of the WFCL in 2012. She was the Association of Cameroonian Businesswomen's founding president, led the African Network for the Support for Female Entrepreneurship and consulted The World Bank
The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development G ...
, the African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies ...
and several international agencies. Foning took part in several international conferences and meetings, including the USA/Africa summit in Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
She was also international vice-president of the Francophone Business Forum, permanent secretary Africa of the AGOA training center (African Growth Opportunity Act), and was president of the Chamber of Commerce's Industry Department.
Personal life and death
Foning praised the Cameroonian presidential couple at official ceremonies and her fellow citizens called her "national leader" as a result. She had been married three times, and had six children. On 18 January 2015, Foning attended a meeting of the 4th assembly of the United Cities and Councils of Cameroon in the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé
Yaoundé (; , ) is the capital of Cameroon and, with a population of more than 2.8 million, the second-largest city in the country after the port city Douala. It lies in the Centre Region of the nation at an elevation of about 750 metres (2,50 ...
. After leaving the meeting, the driver of her car carrying her and her bodyguard lost control on the Yaoundé Bafoussam road in Ebebda after attempting to avoid a motorcycle passing a lorry holding sand in the opposite direction at high speed, causing the car to roll several times. Foning broke her legs and ribs, and was immediately transported to the emergency unit at Central Hospital of Yaoundé. Foning died from a sudden spike of blood pressure and hypertension on the morning of 23 January,[ with the news made public by hospital officials about midday.][
]
Funeral
On 18 March, Paul Biya signed a decree instituting the official funeral service for Foning to be held five days later. A vigil and masses were held in her honor before the funeral. Work on the burial site by companies in Douala was completed on 20 March. The brief ecumenical service was held in the palace of Johny Baleng in Menoua with members of her family and government officials in attendance on 21 March. Foning was interned at the family home afterwards.
Legacy
She was posthumously conferred the Grand Condor of the Order of Merit by , the Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
, and the foundation of the Francoise Foning Foundation to help retain the memory of her work in the public was announced by her son.[ Foning was replaced as president of Association of Cameroonian Businesswomen by Agnès Ntube Ndode, and the contest to take her place as mayor of Douala 5 ended with Carlos Ngoualem winning the election on 5 August.] At the request of her family, a street in the Douala 5 district linking the Akwa-Nord Pharmacy to the Makepe Roundabout bearing the name ''Rue Françoise Foning'' was renamed from No 5.508 to honour her in late 2016. An accompanying plaque was installed at both ends of the street and a monograph on the life and works of Foning was published in 2017.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foning, Francoise
1949 births
2015 deaths
People from West Region (Cameroon)
Cameroonian women in business
20th-century businesswomen
21st-century businesswomen
20th-century Cameroonian women
21st-century Cameroonian women politicians
21st-century Cameroonian politicians
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement politicians
Members of the National Assembly (Cameroon)
Consultants