Cameroon’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC) has flagged corruption and the production of fake certificates as two of the most worrying issues plaguing the country’s higher education system.

At a campaign at the University of Yaoundé II to educate and sensitise the university population on the consequences of the production and use of fake certificates in Cameroon and abroad on 5 November 2024, the chairman of CONAC, the Reverend Dr Dieudonné Massi Gams, underscored the dangers of corrupt practices and falsification of certificates. This has become endemic in higher education institutions in the country, actions not compatible with head of state President Paul Biya’s policy to promote good governance as pathways towards economic emergence by 2035.

“The university should be a place to promote academic excellence as recommended by the Head of State, Paul Biya, and not academic forgery,” Massi Gams said at the University of Yaoundé II campaign.

The campaign to fight against fake certificates and corruption in universities for the 2024-25 academic year which started on 25 October 2024 at the University of Yaoundé I, comes against the backdrop of reports of several cases of graduates falsifying certificates to secure employment in both public and private institutions as well as access to post-graduate studies at foreign universities, Massi Gams said.

“We have received several complaints from the ministry of higher education and directly from foreign universities about applicants from Cameroon with falsified transcripts, a practice that tarnishes the image of the country’s higher education system,” he noted.

Students, staff sensitised

The campaign, carried out in collaboration with the ministry of higher education, he said, targets students of higher education institutions where recruitment for various enterprises is focused, as well as the entire university community.

The campaign at both University of Yaoundé I and Yaoundé II was characterised by words of advice from the CONAC team, and messages to students and staff about the implications of using fake certificates. Examples of fake certificates were placed on billboards around the campus.

Anti-corruption billboards bearing the campaign message are planted in strategic corners of the university campuses as well as on stickers stuck on vehicles of staff and some students. The campaign will be extended to all public higher education institutions in the country as well as private universities, CONAC authorities said.

Experts said it was imperative that corruption is fought at universities in Africa in their capacity as institutions of higher education that touch the lives of future leaders, and as large organisations with substantial economic footprints.

Students welcome chance to talk

“The fight against corruption in Africa, in general, and Cameroon, in particular, should start with the training system of our future leaders. That is why the campaign against fake certificates and corruption in higher education institutions in Cameroon is very strategic,” Dr Nick Ngwanyam, director and CEO of the St Louis University Institute of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Cameroon, told University World News.

Students have also saluted the initiative which, they say, helps to bring university authorities out of their silos to openly discuss even taboo subjects like sexual harassment for marks.

“The campaign on campus was very educative and provided a rare opportunity for students and university authorities to discuss even some taboo subjects like sexual harassment,” Victoria Ebage, a law student at the University of Yaoundé II, told University World News.

Cameroon’s 2023 anti-corruption status report released in September 2024 shows that, like in other sectors, bribery and corruption have been rampant in higher education – regarding admitting candidates at public professional institutes. Merit hardly plays a role, which has opened the doors to mediocrity.

The report says that, generally, the State of Cameroon lost over CFA114 billion (approximately US$184 million) to corruption in 2023 which represents an increase of CFA109.4 billion compared to 2022.

‘Favours’ undermine credibility

Other sectors where corruption is on the rise include transport, secondary education, territorial administration, finance, telecommunication, and public works, according to the report. The 2023 report is divided into four parts, with part one focusing on measures to prevent corruption, part two on sanctions, part three on the fight against money-laundering and recovery of assets derived from corruption, and part four, on cooperation – at both local and international levels – in the fight against corruption.

The report says higher education institutions have been plagued by sexual harassment and favours for better grades. The widespread practice has severely undermined the credibility of the merit-based system. Experts have sounded the alarm that such deviant practices could hamstring the broader efforts by the government to foster quality education at higher education level. “It is difficult to obtain quality results in our universities under such circumstances,” Ngwanyam said.

Massi Gams called on students to strive for excellence and uphold integrity. He challenged them to lead in the fight against corruption in the country to guarantee a better future. “As future leaders, you are expected to shine the flag, set the example for a brighter tomorrow,” he said.

In similar message to students, the Rector of the University of Yaoundé I, Professor Remy Magloire Dieudonné Etoua, warned against the adulteration of results transcripts and birth certificates. He urged students and staff to guard against the practice, which is not only punishable by Cameroonian law, but also a deterrent to professional and intellectual development in Cameroon.

Backdoor payments common

“We have had cases of students changing marks on their results transcripts and ages on their birth certificates to gain access into professional schools for employment into the public services. These are criminal acts punishable by law,” Etoua said at the University of Yaoundé I launch.

There has been a public backlash against prevailing corruption with impunity in the country’s higher education system, especially access to higher professional institutions. On 13 August 2024, CamerounWeb reported about backdoor payments of as high as CFA30 million (about US$48,265) to gain admission into the National School of Administration and Magistracy, or ENAM, the higher education institution that trains senior administrators, magistrates and finance experts in the country.

The prevailing corruption in the admission of students to prestigious higher professional schools in the country has eroded public confidence in the higher education system, experts say. “The public has virtually lost confidence in our higher education system because corruption has taken virtually all the professional higher training institutions hostage. The power of the wallet has taken over the place of merit,” Etoua told University World News.

Culled from University World News

France plans to issue around 4,300 visas to Cameroonian students this year, a 10% increase compared to 2023. Thierry Marchand, France’s ambassador to Cameroon, called this “excellent news.”

“Issuing student visas is a very important part of the relationship between France and Cameroon,” he told the press last week.

The French diplomat also said France aims to issue even more visas in 2025. To help with this, embassy teams will be at the “Salon pour la promotion des études en France” (Sapef) event in Yaoundé and Douala this October. Marchand emphasized that Sapef is a chance to give Cameroonian students more information about how to apply for visas.

In addition, the French embassy has announced the opening of Campus France desks at several universities across the country. These desks allow students to start their immigration process right on campus, making it easier and saving them time.

Beyond student visas, Thierry Marchand also announced that the total number of visas issued in 2024 could increase by 30% compared to the previous year. This aligns with his goal, since he arrived in Cameroon at the end of 2022, to make the visa process easier. This task has been given to TLSContact, and he proudly noted that the wait for an appointment is now no longer than 15 days.

Source: Sbbc

On October 1, 2024, the Cameroonian government introduced a new digital platform aimed at verifying the authenticity of diplomas issued by universities, public administrations, and private institutions. The initiative was unveiled at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) of the University of Yaoundé 1, during a ceremony co-chaired by the Minister of Higher Education (Minesup), Jacques Fame Ndongo, and the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reform (Minfopra), Joseph Le.

The digital platform is described as an “essential tool” designed to streamline the often lengthy recruitment process within the public sector, which has been slowed by cumbersome diploma certification procedures. “This platform is not only a modern tool for verifying the authenticity of diplomas but also a guarantee of trust for citizens, employers, and especially public institutions,” said Joseph Le.

As per a joint circular from May 8, 2024, Minesup will provide Minfopra with a secure software interface, allowing access to diploma data. In return, Minfopra will be able to submit verification requests digitally, speeding up the process. A secure response confirming the authenticity of the diploma will then be sent back to Minfopra through the platform. According to Minister Le, the platform is “a crucial step” in the government’s commitment to enhancing transparency and efficiency in public administration. The initiative is part of a broader modernization effort to improve the management of civil servant integration processes.

The platform aims to address the growing issue of fake diplomas in both the public and private sectors. For example, in June 2024, Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo announced the discovery of 1,312 fake diplomas during the recruitment process for young gendarmes and soldiers for the 2024 fiscal year. Similarly, in 2022, nearly 1,000 gendarmerie students were dismissed due to falsified credentials. This new platform is expected to help decrease such incidents by streamlining document verification.

The platform’s launch follows an agreement signed between Minesup and Minfopra on April 6, 2023. It will be implemented in collaboration with the ministries that issue the most diplomas, including Minesup, the Ministry of Secondary Education (Minesec), the Ministry of Basic Education (Minedub), and the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (Minefop). Through this initiative, Minfopra aims to verify diploma authenticity more effectively and significantly reduce the processing times for recruitment and certification.

Source: Business in Cameroon

During an official visit to Yaoundé, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, announced the mobilisation of $44.5 million for education in Cameroon. The funds will be used to modernise school curricula and train more than 28,000 education professionals.

“Cameroon has made education a priority and it was essential for UNESCO to support these efforts. Thanks to the Global Partnership for Education, today we’re mobilising $44.5 million to boost the improvements of the country’s school system. This is yet another example of UNESCO’s firm commitment to supporting all its Member States in their efforts to achieve universal access to education” Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO said.

With these new funds, UNESCO and Cameroon will work together to modernise school curricula, with a particular emphasis on multilingual education. The Organization will provide more than 4 million school textbooks and teaching manuals. It will also support the training of 15,000 teachers as well as 13,000 headteachers, trainers and educational professionals. Finally, this initiative will provide school meals to children from the poorest families to further support their schooling.

This initiative in Cameroon joins those already undertaken by UNESCO in many other African countries. In recent years, the Organization has notably raised $15.7m for education in Burundi, $48.2m in Chad, $39.5m in Côte d’Ivoire, and $10.7m in the Republic of Congo – again as part of the Global Partnership for Education. At a time when the African Union has dedicated 2024 as the year of education, UNESCO is once again demonstrating its role as a leading partner of African states in this field.

Source: miragenews

The Basic Education Ministry recently warned public primary school administrators about “shortcomings”, including the mandatory imposition of parent-teacher association (PTA) fees, just over a week before the new school year.

In an August 20 letter, Basic Education Minister Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa highlighted the issue but did not take a definitive stance on the contentious matter of the fees.

Since a 2001 presidential decree made public preschool and primary education free, parent-teacher association fees have risen significantly, sometimes exceeding XAF25,000.

Parents have long criticized the situation, which persists as school administrators cite a lack of resources to pay teachers and cover operating costs.

In 2021, addressing members of parliament, Minister Etoundi Ngoa stated, “There are ongoing challenges. Since there was no cap [ the parent-teacher association fees], to prevent abuses, my colleague from Secondary Education recommended a limit of XAF25,000 during her visit to Douala. I believe that Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) are crucial and should continue. The government, parents, and development partners are the key education stakeholders, as outlined by UNESCO.”

The other shortcomings addressed by Minister Ngoa include “the sale of school supplies within institutions at exorbitant prices, the sale of spots for enrolling new students at each school year, including to parents benefiting from transfers, the neglect of social cases, and even children from internally displaced families.”

Source: Business in Cameroon

Elites of Eyumojock Sub-division are currently in Limbe to  brainstorm on how schools can resume in the sub-division.

The event, chaired by the determined CPDM Member of Parliament, Honorable Teku Tanyu, has brought together some prominent chiefs of the sub-division and politicians who hold that depriving children of the opportunity to go to school is a destruction of the children’s future.

Since the socio-political problems in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon started in 2016, many kids in the sub-division have not been going to school.

For a sub-division of 66 villages, only two villages having functioning schools – Ekok and Eyumojock. 

For the past six years, kids in Kembong, Ewelle, Ossing, Ndekwai, Eyanchang and other villages have not been to school and this is bad news to the sub-division whose leaders hold that the road to a bright future passes through sound education.

Speaking during the brainstorming session, the Eyumojock Sub-division Member of Parliament, Teku Tanyi, himself a disciple of formal education, urged elites of the division to help children to return to school.

He underscored the importance of education to the sub-division’s development, adding that without education, most children from the sub-division will not have the right tools to face the future.

The Member of Parliament who hails from Ossing and who has been working relentlessly for the resumption of schools in the sub-division lamented that many children have been robbed of their future.

This is a developing story and more will be yours when available.

By Dr Joachim Arrey

Cameroon recorded 48 attacks on schools between January and June 2024, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports in a statement released on World Humanitarian Day (August 19). “Such instability affects children’s right to education,” lamented the UN, without specifying where these attacks occurred. However, several international reports revealed attacks by separatist armed groups in the crisis-affected regions of the Northwest and Southwest.

One of the most notable attacks occurred in October 2020 when armed separatists targeted the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba, resulting in the deaths of eight students. In February 2022, similar attacks were carried out on the Molyko public primary school and the Catholic college “Queen of the Rosary.”

Since the outbreak of the separatist conflict in 2017, over 700,000 children have been unable to attend school due to the ongoing violence.

The UN also reported 18 attacks on healthcare facilities during the same period.

Source: Sbbc

Catholic teachers have to be peace ambassadors, imparting a culture of peace to learners, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea of Cameroon’s Catholic Archdiocese of Bamenda has said.

In his homily during the annual celebration of Teachers Day in his Metropolitan See, Archbishop Nkea urged Catholic teachers to exercise their profession, which he said is characterized by dignity, with commitment.

“The vocation you have answered to be a teacher is a very noble one. It is a profession that has dignity,” he said during the July 20 celebration that was held at St. Joseph Cathedral of Bamenda Archdiocese.

The Cameroonian Catholic Archbishop added, “The dignity of this vocation lies in the fact that  you take responsibility to do what God does; impart knowledge to others and we know that God, who has called you will not abandon you. He will continue to protect you, especially from the violence that we have in our society.”

“That is why I ask all of you to be pro-peace and to hand over a culture of peace to the children whom you teach,” the Archbishop of Bamenda who doubles as the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) said.

He told the Catholic teachers to “see every child sitting in your classroom as your own biological child.”

“You are transmitters of knowledge and therefore transmitters of truth. You are not going to give your own ideas or what you think. You are going to transmit what is true,” he emphasized.

He also underlined the need to foster moral aptitude, saying, “You are transmitters of the doctrine of our church because our schools remain agents of evangelization. You are transmitters of the moral values of the church which are summarized in the 10 Commandments.”

The 58-year-old Catholic Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in August 2013 as the Coadjutor Bishop of Cameroon’s Mamfe Diocese called upon the Catholic teachers to find fulfilment in their profession and interaction with learners.

“Be happy, joyful, and proud teachers. Be teachers with dignity,” he said.

Archbishop Nkea added, “Let the poverty you have be known only to your pockets. The more you thank God for what he has done, the more God multiplies what you are. The value of what you do can never ever be quantified or calculated in monetary terms.”

He encouraged the Catholic teachers to be sources of inspiration. When people get to see you, he said, let them be “hungry to be Catholic teachers.”

Source: aciafrica

A man who had perhaps the most significant influence on Western political thought and education is the Greek philosopher Plato. As a student of Socrates and later the teacher of Aristotle, he cherished education and believed in its power to change people and create a stable state. Plato believed that all citizens in a society needed to be educated for it to be stable and prosperous. Inspired by the wisdom of Plato, Ahmadou Ahidjo who became Cameroon’s first head of state embarked on that great journey to educate all in his new country.

This heroic and commendable vision of President Ahmadou Ahidjo led to a national policy of sending the brightest minds the country produced to study at the finest universities in the West. Most of these students left Cameroon after A’ Levels in the ’60s, ’80s and 90s with full tuition and accommodation expenses paid for by the government of Cameroon. They studied at University College London, University of Cambridge, Columbia University, Imperial College London, and University of Oxford, Yale, Harvard and many other great institutions of higher learning in the West.

One of the communities that greatly benefited from Ahmadou Ahidjo’s policy of education for a prosperous state was the Manyu. Manyus are renowned for having an inborn aptitude for education and have consistently produced smart and fertile minds. They contributed vast numbers to the scholarship community travelling to the US and UK. A recent survey by this media outlet found that Manyu had more young men and women on the scholarship train than any other constituency in Ahmadou Ahidjo’s United Republic of Cameroon. Manyus will live to enjoy for a very long time due to the vision of one person-the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo.

Today in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Manyu celebrates Dr Ben Tanyi, who studied Mathematics and Statistics and has distinguished himself in the global mining and petroleum industry.

Manyus bow and tremble when the name Dr Henry Tabe is mentioned! A man who navigated from a BSc in Mathematics and Statistical Science into a PhD in Pure Mathematics, which he completed in 18 months at the University College of London. Dr Henry Tabe is a prominent finance expert who can hold his own against anyone in the City of London.

Another recipient of Ahidjo’s scholarship was Ayuk Akoh-Arrey, a Senior Policy Actuarial in London who knows almost all that is about insurance products.

Dr Peter Ashu made the most of his opportunity and obtained a PhD in Physics from the renowned University of Cardiff before establishing himself in the global Information Technology sector.

Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia and formerly of the American University of Nigeria, was another beneficiary who moonlighted himself as a global Information Technology Expert. The Manyu list is long, great and remarkable.

President Ahidjo like many other African leaders was a man with many faults! He was a tricky and canny political operator who tolerated no political opposition to his views and ambition. He single-handedly brought so much benefit to the Cameroonian nation ranging from great infrastructure projects to economic growth and prosperity, building of a welfare state and instilling in the consciousness of Cameroonians that education remains the key to a prosperous society. 

As we approach the centenary of his birth, (born August 1924, Garoua, Cameroon—died Nov. 30, 1989, Cameroon Concord News Group is imploring its readers to celebrate a man who had a vision for a united people and a united nation. This publication is calling on Manyus around the world to raise a glass to this visionary that used the levers of power to set the foundation for the academic take off of Manyu as a constituency and the economic profits that Manyu is enjoying today.

Plato and Ahidjo believed education was the key to eradicating evil and achieving stability in a community and State. They were both correct, for the Manyu community at home and in the diaspora is a better place today because Ahidjo lived.

By Isong Asu

The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Cameroon Concord News Group