By Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea
The University of Buea has taken a pioneering step in reshaping agricultural education in Cameroon and across West Africa through its active participation in the AgrBIZZ Project, a three-year initiative co-funded by the European Union to promote climate-smart Agropreneurship education for jobs and sustainability.
The official launch of the AgrBIZZ Project in Cameroon was held on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at Amphitheatre 250 of the institution and was preceded by a one-week workshop from May 26 to 30, bringing together stakeholders from Cameroon, Finland, Denmark, Ghana, and representatives of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM).
The workshop, chaired by Professor Michael Sone Ekonde, Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Teaching, Professionalisation, and the Development of ICTs, focused on equipping Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with the tools and mindset to provide inclusive, work-life-relevant education that promotes environmental and societal development.
University of Buea at the Forefront
As one of the project’s key partners, the University of Buea is contributing through its Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and Faculty of Education. In his opening remarks, Professor Ekonde expressed gratitude to Dr. Eija Laitinen, the project’s Principal Investigator from HAMK University of Applied Sciences, Finland, for choosing UB as host. “Our university has embarked on a series of academic reforms, and the core of it is centered on entrepreneurship,” said Prof. Ekonde. “The AgrBIZZ project directly supports our efforts in improving the delivery of ENT100 – Entrepreneurship, a university-wide compulsory course, by offering new perspectives on what to teach, how to teach, and where to teach.”
Professor Ekonde added that the insights from the project will help refine the way UB educates its students, enabling them not just to learn but to innovate and launch their own start-ups through the university’s incubation platforms.
Building skills for a changing world
In her keynote address, Dr. Eija Laitinen emphasised that job creation is central to sustainable development and that education must evolve beyond delivering knowledge. “We are not just teaching facts, we are teaching people how to think critically, apply knowledge, and innovate within the context of real societal needs,” she noted.
Dr. Laitinen described AgrBIZZ as more than a curriculum reform initiative. It is a transformational movement aiming to integrate climate-smart agriculture and entrepreneurship into the very fabric of higher education across partner institutions. The project will revise 11 existing curricula and accredit five new ones, all focused on developing entrepreneurial competencies and environmental consciousness. “We focus on learning, not just teaching,” she added. “Students should become the builders of a better world. They must learn by going through real-life cases, industry collaboration, and solving societal challenges.”
Institutional support and national alignment
Reinforcing the project’s national relevance, Dr. Ntui Ogork, General Manager of the South West Development Authority (SOWEDA), highlighted how AgrBIZZ aligns with Cameroon’s development strategies such as the 2024/2026 Import Substitution Plan, NDS30, and Vision 2035. “SOWEDA is ready to offer technical, material, and financial support to this initiative,” said Dr. Ogork. “We have seed multiplication farms, trading centers, and trained personnel that can be leveraged for farmer training, internships, and agri-value chain development.”
SOWEDA plans to support cooperative development, promote digital agriculture, and contribute to policy advocacy, ensuring that the innovations from AgrBIZZ are not only academic but also influence national rural development.
A strategic turning point for Agropreneurship education
In interviews following the launch, Professor Ekonde reiterated the strategic importance of the AgrBIZZ project to UB’s academic mission. “This project will empower our faculties to improve the way we teach entrepreneurship, particularly in the agricultural sector,” he said. “It’s not about having more courses, it’s about integrating entrepreneurship into every facet of education.”
Dr. Laitinen also expressed her satisfaction with UB’s commitment, noting that real transformation happens when universities stop acting as knowledge dispensers and instead become learning ecosystems that nurture innovation.
Looking ahead
As the AgrBIZZ project unfolds over the next three years, the University of Buea stands poised to become a regional model for climate-smart and inclusive Agropreneurship education. By leveraging global partnerships and aligning with national goals, UB is redefining what it means to educate future agricultural entrepreneurs in an era of climate change and economic uncertainty.
With the convergence of visionary leadership, institutional commitment, and grassroots implementation, AgrBIZZ promises to be a game-changer not just for the university but for the broader region it serves.