The Association of Pan-African and Economic Journalists of Cameroon – RJPEC officially presented Doad Surjeet Singh, Managing Director of ACERO METAL Cameroon, with the prestigious 2025 Best Manager Award. Held on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at the company’s metallurgical complex in the Douala-Bonabéri Industrial Zone, the ceremony highlighted Singh’s transformation of marshy terrain into a modern industrial powerhouse.
RJPEC President Victor Esso Tiki emphasized that the accolade celebrates monumental investments and massive job creation, with the facility generating roughly 1,500 direct and indirect jobs to help diversify the Littoral region’s economic fabric.
By establishing ACERO METAL as a dominant force in local manufacturing, Singh has fundamentally altered Cameroon’s reinforcing steel market, which historically relied heavily on imports from Europe, Asia, and Eastern Europe. This shift represents a major victory for the country’s import-substitution strategy, drastically reducing foreign dependence on essential construction materials. Capturing this industrial added value locally aligns with a broader continental movement toward economic sovereignty, positioning the company as a central player in the structural transformation of the national economy.
Looking ahead through its 2026 roadmap, the company’s management is pivoting toward regional expansion, targeting consolidation within the CEMAC sub-region followed by an entry into the African Continental Free Trade Area – AfCFTA. To compete effectively on this grand scale, ACERO METAL is heavily prioritizing the modernization of its equipment, strict logistical optimization, and rigorous compliance with international quality standards. Management views these structural upgrades not as options, but as strict strategic prerequisites for penetrating and conquering wider African markets.
Beyond hard production metrics, the RJPEC highly commended ACERO METAL’s corporate social responsibility – CSR initiatives as a core pillar of its competitive edge. Through regular bonuses, internal awards, and dedicated support for socio-cultural community projects across Cameroon, the company has successfully integrated talent retention into its business model.
On a continent where keeping skilled workers is a critical hurdle for growing industries, this people-first approach provides ACERO METAL with the stability and sustainable edge needed to achieve its goal of becoming a benchmark in African metallurgy.
