The Cameroonian government is accelerating the implementation of the Presidential Investment Program for the universities of Bertoua, Ebolowa, and Garoua. With a total budget of nearly FCFA 255 billion, this project aims to modernize the infrastructure of these young university institutions and strengthen the national higher education offer, in a logic of decentralization and territorial development.
The Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo, chaired the fourth session of the ad hoc committee responsible for monitoring the implementation of this program on February 18, 2026, in Yaoundé. This meeting assessed the progress of the construction sites, identified the difficulties encountered, and defined corrective measures to accelerate the delivery of the planned infrastructure.
According to data from the Ministry of Higher Education, the overall cost of the program is estimated at FCFA 254.93 billion. The project benefits from the agreement of President Paul Biya, with funding included in the Public Investment Budget (BIP) of the Ministries of Economy and Higher Education, for an initial amount of approximately FCFA 25.3 billion.
Beyond the construction of academic and administrative infrastructure, the project includes the development of modern equipment to simultaneously accommodate 2,800 students in Ebolowa, 3,520 in Bertoua, and 2,320 in Garoua. These investments are part of the national strategy to strengthen the Cameroonian university system, which aims to support the increase in the number of students and improve the quality of training and research.
Following the discussions at the February 18 meeting, seven resolutions were adopted to remove obstacles slowing down the progress of the construction sites. These measures include adjusting the 2026 budget, contracting additional studies, and actions with the Ministry of Finance to expedite the payment of outstanding invoices. Formal notices will also be sent to companies that are behind schedule, with a final extension of contractual deadlines to avoid any paralysis of the program.
Created by presidential decrees in January 2022, the universities of Bertoua, Ebolowa, and Garoua aim to strengthen access to higher education in the East, South, and North regions. These institutions are expected to help decongest the major historical universities and stimulate scientific research and innovation in these regions. Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo called for increased efforts to realize this vision, emphasizing the priority given by the Head of State to the development of human capital and the modernization of higher education.
If the deadlines are met, these universities should gradually have their own infrastructure, marking an important step in structuring a more balanced national university network adapted to the needs of Cameroon.
