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WHO chief visits eastern DR Congo amid Ebola outbreak

31, May 2026

WHO chief visits eastern DR Congo amid Ebola outbreak 0

UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called Saturday for more international help to combat the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in DR Congo as he arrived in the eastern province worst-hit by a severe outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) director general told reporters in Bunia, capital of Ituri province, that the international community was helping the DR Congo government cope with the outbreak.

But he added that “community ownership” was also needed – including overcoming “mistrust” and false information – and an increase in financial support from other countries.

“We are here to discuss with the community, to see how the response is running and if there are challenges to help,” he said.

“You’re not alone in this. We’re here, we’re with you, and we will see this through together,” he told people in Ituri at a press conference later.

The highly contagious haemorrhagic fever is already present in three eastern DR Congo provinces and in neighbouring Uganda.

There have been at least 1,077 suspected cases of Ebola in DR Congo since the outbreak was declared on May 15, including 246 deaths, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. There have been nine confirmed infections in Uganda, including one death.

The true reach of the outbreak in DR Congo, which is thought to have been circulating before it was detected, is likely to be much wider, the WHO has warned.

The vast impoverished central African country – whose mineral-rich east has been plagued by three decades of conflict – has limited capacity to conduct laboratory tests to confirm cases.

Conflict and Ebola

Uganda closed its border with DR Congo this week and ordered a 21-day quarantine for anyone arriving from that country.

On Friday, the WHO announced that a patient had recovered on Wednesday, left hospital and was discharged into the community after two negative tests. WHO’s Anaïs Legand said it marked a “first” among patients who had been confirmed Ebola carriers in the current outbreak.

Ebola, which spreads through close contact and bodily fluids, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.

The deadliest outbreak in DR Congo claimed nearly 2,300 lives out of 3,500 cases between 2018 and 2020.

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has said of the latest outbreak that “never has an Ebola epidemic recorded so many cases in the first days after it being declared”.

It said there were not enough medical experts deployed in the afflicted region.

State services are largely lacking in Ituri province, where access is hindered by insecurity due to the presence of armed groups and militias.

“There is experience in this country and under the government’s leadership, and especially with community ownership, we can stop it,” said Tedros.

“These are the ingredients which are important, of course, with the support from the international community as well. So the issue is in our hands.

“If we do our best, it can be stopped.”

Vaccine search

No vaccine or specific treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is behind the current outbreak.

But the head of the CDC Africa said on Thursday that a vaccine should be ready by the end of the year.

On Saturday, the WHO said its experts had considered several potential vaccines that were “promising enough” to warrant evaluation in clinical trials.

“In the meantime, our priority is to stop transmission with tools that we have used for decades of Ebola responses, which include disease surveillance, rapid testing and diagnosis, contact tracing, isolation and care for patients, infection prevention and control, community engagement, and safe and dignified burials,” it added in a statement.

North and South Kivu provinces, that have also recorded Ebola cases in the outbreak, have been plagued by near continuous violence for three decades.

Much of the affected regions are controlled by the Rwanda-backed armed group M23 which has been battling government forces.

Millions of people have fled the fighting and are living in displacement camps with poor hygiene conditions.

Nearly a million of those displaced are in Ituri province, where the prospect of the epidemic spreading throughout the camps has sparked alarm.

“If Ebola comes, we’ll be wiped out as we’re packed like sardines,” Dorcas Mapenzi said at the Kingonze camp on the outskirts of Bunia.

Source: AFP

Minister Nalova mobilizing schools against rising obesity and diabetes

30, May 2026

Minister Nalova mobilizing schools against rising obesity and diabetes 0

Cameroon is stepping up nutrition education in secondary schools as part of a broader effort to improve adolescent health and prevent diseases linked to poor eating habits.

On May 28, 2026, education, health, and development stakeholders gathered in Yaoundé to review the first results of the Sun App project, an initiative designed to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity in schools.

The meeting, organized by the Ministry of Secondary Education in partnership with the Research and Sustainable Development Institute (RSD Institute), assessed the program’s implementation, reviewed its early impact, and explored ways to support its gradual expansion nationwide.

During the event, Secondary Education Minister Nalova Lyonga called for concrete measures to improve students’ food environment. According to state broadcaster CRTV, she recommended the creation of healthy school cafeterias, the introduction of electronic payment systems, or “cash wallets,” to help students access balanced meals, and the development of school gardens on campus.

For education officials, these measures are intended to go beyond awareness campaigns. The goal is to create school environments that encourage healthier eating habits while engaging students in practical activities related to nutrition and well-being. Sun App, short for Scaling Up Healthy Nutrition to Adolescents and Pregnant Women, was officially launched on December 4, 2024, in Ntui, located in the Mbam-and-Kim division of Cameroon’s Center Region.

The program is gradually expanding to several municipalities, including Yaoundé IV. Its objective is to improve dietary habits among adolescents while encouraging physical activity throughout school communities.

The initiative is built around two main pillars: nutrition education and the prevention of noncommunicable diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and conditions linked to malnutrition. By targeting students at an early age, program organizers hope to address unhealthy behaviors before they become deeply rooted.

The approach reflects a widely shared view among public health experts that schools are one of the most effective places to influence youth behavior. Schools not only provide knowledge but also help establish daily routines around nutrition, exercise, and healthy living.

The current effort builds on a partnership between the Ministry of Secondary Education and the RSD Institute that began in 2018. The agreement was renewed on August 19, 2025, to strengthen primary prevention efforts within the education system, particularly in secondary schools. A few weeks later, on September 2, 2025, stakeholders in Yaoundé validated a National Strategy for Nutrition Education in Schools. The framework aims to harmonize interventions, strengthen awareness campaigns, and improve coordination among programs operating across the country.

For education and health authorities, the issue now extends far beyond school meals. The broader objective is to position schools as a frontline defense against the rise of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular conditions. These illnesses were once associated primarily with adults, but they are increasingly affecting younger populations, especially in urban areas where eating habits are changing rapidly.

Through Sun App, Cameroon hopes to establish a culture of prevention from an early age. However, the program’s success will depend on several factors, including sustainable financing for healthy school meal programs, support from local governments, family participation, teacher training, and the creation of monitoring systems capable of measuring real changes in student behavior.

Ultimately, the project’s impact will depend less on workshops and policy recommendations than on its ability to change everyday practices within schools. In that sense, Sun App is both a public health initiative and a test of Cameroon’s ability to make nutrition education a lasting part of its education system.

Source: Sbbc

Kenya: Fire in girls’ school dorm kills 16

28, May 2026

Kenya: Fire in girls’ school dorm kills 16 0

The fire broke out shortly before 1:00 am local time at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of the capital Nairobi, officials said.

There have been many devastating school fires in Kenya, where boarding schools are common as a colonial legacy of missionaries and the British.

“We have 16 fatalities. It’s an unfortunate incident,” education minister Julius Migos Ogamba told reporters at the scene, without giving ages for the victims.

The affected dormitory had shattered windows, blackened walls and a crumpled corrugated iron roof, an AFP journalist saw.

Parents of the victims were in the process of being informed by health workers at the site mid-afternoon as bodies were identified.

A distraught mother, Leila Matura, 52, said her 18-year-old daughter was still missing.

“We went to the hospital to see if she is there, she is not there. So they are telling us, she is not around, she is among the missing,” she told AFP.

“Whether she is dead or alive, we do not know. I’m hopeless,” she added.

Another mother, who did not wish to be named, said her 17-year-old daughter was in hospital.

“She broke both her legs jumping from the window. Thank God she is strong. It is every mother’s nightmare,” she said.

The school is linked to the National Police Service and most pupils are the children of officers.

“When we arrived, the fire was still blazing. It was so big… It took about 45 minutes to extinguish the flames because of the mattresses inside,” a firefighter, who identified himself only as Fred because he was not authorised to speak to the press, told AFP.

–‘Unimaginable tragedy’-

Authorities say they are still investigating the cause of the fire.

“Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters,” President William Ruto said on X, describing it as an “unimaginable tragedy”.

Children have been accused of deliberately starting school fires in Kenya in the past. One report found there were 63 arson cases at schools in 2018 alone.

Pupils were accused after a 2001 dormitory fire in the southern county of Machakos killed 67.

On Thursday the education minister said the ministry had closed around 350 schools since 2024 for failing to comply with safety standards.

“We will continue inspections to ensure that our schools meet the safety standards” in force, he pledged.

Source: AFP

Madonna, Shakira, BTS to headline first FIFA World Cup final half-time show

14, May 2026

Madonna, Shakira, BTS to headline first FIFA World Cup final half-time show 0

Coldplay’s Chris Martin is curating the show, which is a first for a football World Cup final but has raised concerns about how long the game’s halftime break will be.

The biggest-ever World Cup, with 48 teams, kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Madonna, Shakira and BTS are global icons whose music transcends borders and generations, and we are proud to welcome them to the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino in a statement.

The show, which will also feature characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets, will support FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100 million for children worldwide during the World Cup.

No details have yet been released on the length of the show to be performed by a trio of co-headliners, though Shakira confirmed she will perform the tournament’s official song, “Dai Dai.”

Madonna described the concert in support of expanding global education as “deeply meaningful to me.”

“Music is the universal language of hope and harmony, and we’re honored to celebrate that power at the World Cup by connecting with millions of viewers around the world in support of children’s education,” added BTS, in a joint statement.

‘Biggest sporting event’

Infantino had announced last year that there would be a first-ever halftime show “befitting the biggest sporting event in the world” at the World Cup final.

A halftime show was trialed at last year’s FIFA Club World Cup final, also at MetLife Stadium. It stretched the break in excess of the regulation 15 minutes.

Shakira also performed at halftime during the final of the 2024 Copa America in Miami.

The singer — who has a long association with the World Cup, having created the 2010 tournament’s anthem “Waka Waka” — teased “Dai Dai” last week in a brief video of the track filmed at Brazil’s iconic Maracana Stadium.

In the 67-second video, Shakira appears on the pitch at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, where she performed in a free concert at the city’s Copacabana Beach before two million people.

Holding the “Trionda”, the official match ball of the 2026 World Cup, Shakira performed excerpts of the song in English, joined by dancers dressed in the colors of teams including the United States and Colombia.

The song was produced with Nigerian artist Burna Boy and is set for official release on Thursday. The clip, also shared by the FIFA World Cup account, ends with the message: “We’re ready!”

The World Cup will feature three separate opening ceremonies — one in each of its host countries — starting with Mexico on June 11, followed by Canada and the US the following day.

Global music stars including Katy Perry, Future, Alanis Morissette, Michael Buble, J Balvin and Lisa will feature across those three concerts.

Infantino has also said that FIFA plans to “take over” New York’s Times Square on the final weekend of the World Cup.

Source: AFP

Cameroonian filmmaker Bassek Ba Kobhio dies!

12, May 2026

Cameroonian filmmaker Bassek Ba Kobhio dies! 0

The Cameroonian film industry is in mourning following the death of Bassek Ba Kobhio, a respected director and cultural promoter who played a key role in shaping modern African cinema.

A filmmaker, producer and cultural advocate, he was widely regarded as one of the architects of modern cinema in Central Africa. Over the years, he built a reputation not only through his films but also through his commitment to creating platforms for African voices.

His works, including Sango Malo and Le Grand Blanc de Lambaréné, tackled themes such as education, colonial legacy and African identity, earning him recognition beyond Cameroon.

Beyond directing, he played a major role in structuring the industry, notably through the creation of the Écrans Noirs festival, which became a key meeting point for filmmakers across Africa and beyond.

His passing has triggered tributes from across the continent, with many describing him as a pioneer who helped shape how African stories are told and distributed.

Bassek Ba Kobhio was born in Cameroon and developed an early passion for cinema and storytelling at a time when African film industries were still emerging.

He pursued formal training in filmmaking abroad, notably in Europe, where he studied cinema and audiovisual production. This exposure helped shape his narrative style, which blends African realities with strong cinematic structure.

He began his career in the 1980s, working first in television and audiovisual production before moving into feature filmmaking. His breakthrough came with Sango Malo (1991), an adaptation of a literary work that explored tensions within the education system and society. The film remains one of the most referenced works in Cameroonian cinema.

In 1995, he founded the Écrans Noirs festival in Yaoundé, at a time when African films had very limited visibility. The initiative grew into one of the most important film festivals in Central Africa, helping to launch and promote numerous African filmmakers.

His film Le Grand Blanc de Lambaréné (1995) revisited the life of Albert Schweitzer from an African perspective, sparking debate and international attention for its critical take on colonial narratives.

Throughout his career, he held several cultural and institutional roles, contributing to policy discussions around cinema and culture in Cameroon and Africa. He was also involved in training and mentoring young filmmakers, pushing for a stronger, more structured film industry.

Bassek Ba Kobhio is remembered not only for his films, but for his vision one that insisted Africa must tell its own stories, on its own terms.

His death leaves a significant void, but his influence continues through the institutions he built and the generations he inspired.

Source: Lebledparle.com

Njomo Kevin: exit of an icon

9, May 2026

Njomo Kevin: exit of an icon 0

The news of his passing was announced by journalist Kum Leonard, who described him as a respected figure in Cameroon’s media landscape.

Pa Njomo was widely known for his long service to journalism, especially in broadcasting and sports reporting. He worked with CRTV and was also associated with Mount Cameroon FM, where he served as station manager. In a 2008 interview, he spoke about his upbringing in Kumba, his education in the South West Region, and his deep love for journalism, religion, music and tennis.

Over the years, Njomo Kevin built a reputation as one of Cameroon’s old-school media voices. His career was strongly linked to football commentary and sports analysis. In 2020, the Mail & Guardian described him as a veteran sports journalist with more than 40 years of experience covering Cameroonian football. He was also known for speaking frankly about corruption and weaknesses in the country’s football structures.

Beyond journalism, Njomo Kevin also served in football administration. In 2017, he was appointed to the FECAFOOT Normalisation Committee after FIFA intervened in the management of Cameroonian football.

In recent years, he remained active through Njomo Kevin TV, where he shared sports memories, cultural stories, historical reflections and what became known as “Story Time with Uncle Njomo.” The platform presented him as a media veteran using storytelling to preserve Cameroon’s social and sporting memory.

His death is a major loss to Cameroon’s media family, especially to those who grew up listening to his voice, learning from his knowledge of sport, and following his reflections on the country’s past and present.

Source: MMINews

Yaoundé moves toward dedicated funding for Cameroon’s film industry

7, May 2026

Yaoundé moves toward dedicated funding for Cameroon’s film industry 0

Cameroon’s Minister of Arts and Culture, Bidoung Mkpatt, has pledged to establish a new framework to secure dedicated State funding for the country’s film industry, responding to long-standing calls from filmmakers for more structured government support in production, infrastructure and distribution.

The commitment was made during a meeting in Yaounde with a delegation from the Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF), shortly after the event concluded its 10th edition on 25 April in Buea, South West Region. The delegation was led by CAMIFF founder and chief executive Gilbert Agbor and included American actor Blair Underwood alongside other film industry figures.

The audience gave festival organisers an opportunity to present a report on the week-long event and highlight structural challenges facing Cameroon’s film and audiovisual sector, including the shortage of modern cinema halls, weak distribution networks and limited access to production financing.

Minister Bidoung Mkpatt said the main obstacle was not policy intent, but the lack of a clear operational framework enabling the State to dedicate funding to the sector. He said projects linked to film production, cinema infrastructure and distribution all fall within the ministry’s mandate.

“The State has a methodology for developing a budget to address the challenges facing the sector’s development. In the case of cinematography, for instance, it can provide credit facilities to help clear the path forward,” the minister said.

“The challenge now is to establish a working method that enables the State to allocate a specific budget for activities in the cinema sector,” he added.

The minister also announced plans to create a committee and a dedicated reflection group to examine concerns raised by filmmakers and develop both short- and long-term strategies for the sector. The process is expected to produce a formal strategy document aimed at structuring future interventions. He urged stakeholders to remain patient while the work progresses.

“Whatever the difficulties may be, they are temporary. You must not give up. Remain vigilant and exercise patience while the committee works to identify both short-term and long-term solutions,” he said.

The policy direction comes as creative industry stakeholders increasingly call for more predictable State support, arguing that the absence of dedicated financing continues to limit production capacity and discourage private investment in the sector.

Blair Underwood, who has traced his ancestry to Cameroon’s Babungo tribe in the North West Region, welcomed the government’s engagement. He described CAMIFF as an initiative that had demonstrated both “vision and execution” over the past decade and said progress in the film industry required collaboration between filmmakers and public authorities.

“It takes the collective effort of many people, and in this instance, the government as well, working in concert to advance to the next stage and reach the next level. So, it is exciting to see that in motion, and to witness such a positive reception from the Minister of Arts and Culture,” he said.

Cameroonian-Nigerian actress Prisma James also called for stronger government backing for the industry, describing show business in Cameroon as challenging despite signs of gradual progress.

“Cameroon is still developing, and show business here remains rather challenging. But we have people who are going to bring about change,” she said.

According to data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Cameroon had fewer than 10 modern cinema halls in the early 2020s. The country’s film industry still operates largely through independent productions and informal distribution channels.

Source: Business in Cameroon

CNN’s pioneering founder Ted Turner dies at 87

6, May 2026

CNN’s pioneering founder Ted Turner dies at 87 0

Ted Turner, who transformed television news with the creation of CNN in 1980, has died at the age of 87, the network said Wednesday.

Cable News Network upended established broadcasting with its dedication to around-the-clock breaking news and shot to global recognition with its coverage of the Gulf War in 1990-91.

Ted Turner created CNN in 1980, revolutionizing the way America, and the world, got their news, and then went on to become one of the most prominent business leaders and philanthropists of his era.

A brash risk taker, Turner—whose death aged 87 was announced on Wednesday—helped reshape the television industry in the late 20th century.

He also made a name for himself with spectacular business deals, his ownership of professional sports clubs, a marriage to actress Jane Fonda, his leadership of a competitive yachting team and then a devotion to charitable and environmental causes.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio in November 1938, Robert Edward “Ted” Turner III went to a military boarding school in Tennessee, and then attended Brown University, but was expelled before graduating.

Turner took over a faltering family advertising business after his father, despondent over financial problems, committed suicide.

After buying a number of radio stations, Turner’s purchase of a struggling Atlanta station in 1970 was his first move into television.

Ten years later, that became the flagship of his nationwide Turner Broadcasting System, the profits from which he parlayed into the launch of CNN.

CNN launched in 1980 as the first 24-hour cable news network, gaining traction in the United States and later internationally.

The launch came as viewers were shifting from broadcast to cable and CNN became a key source of news during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, delivering extensive live coverage using satellite technology.

CNN’s success inspired the creation of other 24-hour news channels including Fox News by longtime Turner rival Rupert Murdoch, MSNBC and countless station worldwide.

Turner’s television empire expanded beyond CNN and included TBS and TNT channels for sports and entertainment, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network, among others.

As his television empire expanded, Turner made a failed bid to acquire CBS in the 1980s and then briefly acquired MGM/UA Entertainment Co. studios.

Turner sold the Hollywood group back months later, while keeping the rights to large portions of its catalog including films from MGM.

Blockbuster deals

His deals got bigger in the 1990s when Turner Broadcasting merged with Time Warner in 1996, making him vice chairman of the media-entertainment powerhouse.

In 2001, AOL (previously America Online) completed its purchase of Time Warner for $165 billion in the biggest merger in corporate history.

But the deal had to be unwound within a decade with the falling fortunes of AOL, which used an inflated share price for the deal. Turner, the biggest shareholder of Time Warner, lost billions from the deal.

Sports figure

Turner bought the Atlanta Braves baseball team in 1976 and the team made several World Series appearances, winning in 1995. He sold his interest as part of the Time Warner deal, but the team continued to play on Turner Field until 2016.

He also owned the Atlanta Hawks NBA team and Atlanta Thrashers NHL team, both of which were transferred to Time Warner as part of the 1996 megadeal.

In other sports endeavors, Turner successfully skippered the US yacht Courageous to win the 1977 America’s Cup.

A yachting incident intensified the rivalry between Turner and Murdoch in 1983 when a Murdoch-sponsored yacht collided with Turner’s in the Sydney-Hobart race, sinking Turner’s schooner.

Afterwards, Turner challenged Murdoch to a fistfight and the two media icons continued to play out their rivalry in the business world.

Turner created the Goodwill Games in the 1980s as part of an effort to ease international tensions during the Cold War, amid Olympic boycotts led by the United States and Soviet Union. The last events were held in 2001.

Attention grabber

Aside from his business and sports deals, Turner gained attention for his personal life and his later ventures focused on philanthropy and the environment.

In 1996, he complained to The New York Times that “all the money is in the hands of these few rich people, and none of them give any away”.

He was Time magazine’s man of the year in 1991, the same year he married, actress Jane Fonda, his third wife. They divorced a decade later, and he blamed their marital woes on her conversion to Christianity.

Her version: “He needs somebody there for him 100 percent of the time … That’s not love, it’s babysitting.”

In 1998, he donated a billion dollars to the United Nations to create the UN Foundation, which has focused on climate change, sustainable development, technology and health initiatives.

Turner announced his departure from his post at Time Warner in 2003 to devote his energy to his other interests.

These include the Turner Foundation, founded in 1990, which supports efforts to fight climate change and improve air and water quality and has given away some $380 million.

His Turner Endangered Species Fund, launched in June 1997, has worked to save gopher tortoises, monarch butterflies and leopard frogs, working mainly with private landowners.

In 2015, he launched the eco-tourism venture Ted Turner Reserves, which enables tourists to visit his four properties in New Mexico and learn about conservation efforts.

Source: AFP

Cameroon PhD nuisance: academic dwarfs and jokes on steroids

22, April 2026

Cameroon PhD nuisance: academic dwarfs and jokes on steroids 0

On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran. The war was expected to be short and decisive. It has proven to be anything but a cakewalk. Following a two-week ceasefire that ended today, President Trump now finds himself in an awkward strategic predicament. Opposite him stands Iran, a nation subjected to forty-seven years of sanctions, yet one that has nonetheless cultivated a remarkably sophisticated indigenous missile and drone capability. That capability is not an accident; it is the product of sustained domestic investment in technical education. Iran’s success in this conflict is tied to a large cohort of PhDs trained in fields such as science, nuclear physics, mathematics, and engineering. For over four decades, economic isolation was meant to constrain Iran, yet it has instead compelled self-reliance, yielding technological capacities that now present a tangible challenge to US military dominance.

In Iran, the world is witnessing what a strong cohort of PhDs can do for a nation. But by some strange happenstance in Cameroon and deep within the Cameroonian diaspora, PhD has become something of a national embarrassment bordering on farce. The recent anxiety around doctoral inflation prompted the 92-year-old Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces President Paul Biya, to instruct the country’s Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo, to clarify that only state universities are authorized to award doctorates.

Minister Fame Ndongo also warned that students enrolling in offshore online programs do so entirely at their own risk. The concern from the head of state is not difficult to understand in a country with weak infrastructure and unreliable internet connectivity. With poor internet connectivity, how can any genuine student conduct credible online doctoral research?

The minister’s intervention reads as an indictment of an industry that has turned the highest academic qualification into a purchasable title. In Cameroon, the doctorate has become a kind of lifestyle accessory like a watch or Smartphone. The flourishing trade in imported and distance-learning PhDs has become a recurring topic in Aghem, Bakweri, Nso, Manyu,  Mankon, Metta, Bakossi, Oroko, Lebialem, Bali, Nkwen and Bafaw culture and development meetings, wake-keeps, naming ceremonies and social gatherings stretching from Toronto to Maryland and from London to Amsterdam.  The PhD palaver in Cameroon is now a diaspora community fixation. In fact, it is an inside joke that has ceased to be funny.

Gone are the days when Cameroon’s intellectual landscape was defined by scholars whose achievements carried unquestioned weight and global respect, with figures like Dr Ako Defang Mengot, forged in the rigour of Harvard University and Professor Bernard Fonlon, whose doctorate in Literature from Sorbonne University reflected both depth and distinction. Today, we have Professor Carlson Anyangwe of Walter Sisulu University, who is grounded in the scholarly tradition of the University of London. For these giants, a PhD was a culmination of intellectual discipline, sacrifice and original contribution to knowledge. Today, that standard has fallen miserably and what remains is a hollow imitation of excellence, where the appearance of intellect is celebrated but its substance is increasingly rare.

Distance-learning institutions have emerged offering doctorate programs as easy to enrol in as gym memberships. In Cameroon diaspora circles, individuals with a questionable grasp of written or spoken French and English now brandish doctoral titles acquired from mushroom online colleges in the US, Pakistan, India and many obscure parts of the globe. The subjects’ and doctoral theses are often as weightless as the process bearing little relation to serious scholarship aimed at advancing knowledge or improving society.

Now, contrast Cameroon with a country like Iran, where the expansion of doctoral education has been rapid but not frivolous. Iranian universities have, over the past two decades, produced large numbers of PhDs in engineering, medicine and the natural sciences. These are not disciplines one typically completes online while working in care homes in Minnesota or Leicester. Iran faces its own challenges like bureaucratic hurdles and the ever-present tension between academic freedom and state oversight. Yet even critics would concede that a PhD in electrical engineering, nuclear physics, drone technology, or molecular biology is not a vanity exercise. One either knows the material or not as the laws of physics and science remains unimpressed by titles.

This editorial is not suggesting that only STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) deserves doctoral attention. The humanities and social sciences have long produced insights as vital as any laboratory breakthrough. The issue is not the field, but the standard. A rigorous PhD in philosophy or Law from an accredited institution is no less demanding than one in physics. A superficial PhD in any discipline, however, remains precisely superficial.

The purpose of PhDs in Cameroon is not intellectual contribution but to cause people headaches at wake keeps, birthday parties and village meetings where the title “Doctor” is utilized to polish egos. A few years ago, the preferred social currency in Manyu, a constituency in Cameroon, once renowned for academic aptitude, was the title of Sessekou. That of the Nso people was Shey!  Today, it is a doctor.

Sadly, in Cameroon circles at home and in the diaspora, a PhD is now a lightweight, portable social accessory. In Iran, it remains closer to what it was always meant to be, a demanding intellectual apprenticeship culminating in a contribution to human knowledge.

President Paul Biya’s intervention is an attempt to restore credibility to doctoral qualifications within the Cameroon community at home and abroad. It is a reminder that a PhD was meant to be difficult, time-consuming, and profitable to society.

In Iran, whatever one thinks of its politics or strategic posture, doctoral education has not been reduced to a public spectacle. It’s PhDs in engineering, physics, mathematics and related fields are not ceremonial titles but functional assets embedded in the architecture of modern warfare. In the ongoing conflict, Iran’s indigenous missile systems, drone swarms, and electronic capabilities are not improvised miracles; they are the downstream product of sustained technical training and research culture. In that sense, the PhD is not a vanity badge but a component of national capability translated from university auditoriums into battlefields. We thank the Head of State for his timely intervention on this matter of national emergency.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Nalova Lyonga adjusts academic calendar to match rescheduled school games

11, April 2026

Nalova Lyonga adjusts academic calendar to match rescheduled school games 0

Cameroon has adjusted the start date of the third school term, delaying the return to class for secondary school students by nearly a week.

In an April 9 statement, Secondary Education Minister Nalova Lyonga announced that the term, initially set to begin on April 21, will now start on Monday, April 27, 2026.

The change is tied to the rescheduling of the national finals of the Fenassco League A school games, now set to take place from April 19 to 26 in Bafoussam and Bangangté, in the West region. The competitions were originally planned for April 8 to 15 but were postponed on government instructions, requiring an adjustment to the academic calendar.

Authorities say the decision is meant to balance school sports activities with academic continuity. The Fenassco games, which bring together thousands of students from across the country each year, are seen as a key platform for promoting school sports and identifying young talent.

However, the delay is expected to affect the organization of teaching schedules. To address this, the minister has instructed regional education officials to organize catch-up classes in all secondary schools.

The aim is to preserve instructional hours and ensure that the 2025–2026 academic calendar remains on track, particularly as the final term is critical for national exams.

School administrators, teachers, students, and parents have been urged to strictly follow the revised schedule to ensure the smooth completion of the academic year.

The adjustment comes as the school year enters its final phase, under the framework set by the joint order issued in August 2025 by the ministries of Basic and Secondary Education.

Source: Sbbc

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