On November 9, 2023, the K Hotel in Douala hosted the fourth edition of the World Cities Day Talk. This annual event, organized by the Africa Innovation Network (AIN) in collaboration with architecture firms NANDHAA, Focus Group and FAH'SI Group, brilliantly explored the theme of urban resilience in Cameroon, attracting nearly 50 participants to an enriching evening at the K'Hotel in Douala.

It was also the ritual opportunity to unveil the new issue of the African Cities Magazine by the AIN. This vibrant magazine highlights the multiple facets of African cities, celebrating innovations and best practices in architecture, urban planning, design and urban art (download edition 4 of the magazine at: https://www.africinno.com/africancitiesmagazine?lang=fr ).

The evening began with a warm welcome from the organizers, followed by a captivating recap of past editions of the World City Day Talk, providing fascinating historical insight. AIN then opened the discussions by presenting both an interactive Quiz and a video which provided an understanding of the current context of urban resilience in Cameroon, thus laying the foundations for future discussions.

The interventions were dynamic and fascinating. Dr. Magloire Olinga brilliantly moderated a discussion on the key actors involved in urban resilience in Cameroon. In his speech, he presented the role and responsibilities of each actor. He insisted on the blocking points to be corrected to allow concerted intervention by each actor. The rest of his speech strongly engaged the audience who did not fail to provide contributions and questions to better understand the subject raised.

The following topics brilliantly explored the challenges to achieving this resilience, while Horcel Sokeng shared key perspectives on the action levers essential to this urban resilience, including the subject of concerted urban governance for good coordination and consistency in actions that contribute to the development of cities; and also citizen participation through civic and informed acts to avoid exposing oneself to any risk in order to understand urban resilience.

The practical discussions on the acquisition and security of real estate in Cameroon, led by Wisdom International, allowed participants to better understand the regulatory and security process of acquiring real estate in Cameroon; this through the presentation of each step and the key players that each person wishing to settle in a place should consult.

Dongmo Justice's dynamic presentation on the importance of research and innovation in building resilient cities highlighted the crucial impact of these elements in urban transformation.

An energetic conclusion closed the evening, followed by a photo and networking session, allowing participants to exchange and nourish the ideas shared.

The appointment has already been made for next year for a new edition of this annual meeting which promises to be just as exciting.