By Doh James Sonkey
The Representative of the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Prof Wilfred Gabsa Nyongbet has urged the University Welfare Centres to move from animating campuses to the promotion of entrepreneurial culture. He was speaking last November 22, 2024 while officially closing a two-day seminar for the evaluation of the functioning of the University Welfare Centers of Public Higher Institutions of Learning. The event was placed under the theme, “the role of University Welfare Centers in the implementation of the University Entrepreneurial concept.” The programme was organised by the Direction of Student Assistance Welfare last November 21 and 22, 2024 at the Cameroon University’s Network and Digital Development Supervision Centre at Politecque in Yaounde.
At the end of their two-day deliberations, participants from various State Universities adopted the following recommendations; ‘‘the formulation of proposals to make sure the infrastructure start producing money, the promotion of mechanisms inciting the creation of enterprises, installation of public-private partnerships and a key product by the university as well as the putting in place of mechanisms for financing projects.’’
Prof Wilfred Gabsa stressed that, “the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education and Chancellor of Academic Orders pays a lot of attention to this radical mindset change.”
The Director of Student Assistance Welfare, Theresia Wannah Litumbe, presented the framework of University Welfare Centres called upon to be more productive according to presidential circular signed last October 25, 2023 by the Head of State, H.E Paul Biya.
Talking to reporters, the SG of the Ministry of Higher Education, Prof Wilfred Gabsa said, ‘‘while waiting for the text of application which is already in process to become validated and approved by the President of the Republic, Head of State for the Minister of State, the law exists, opportunities have been created and it is our responsibility to ensure that we accompany Higher Education Institutions into the process…we are encouraging University Welfare Centres on how to transform their reasoning, their ways of doing things to make sure that they take part in activities that help Universities raise funds for the Higher Education System’’, he said.