Fame Ndongo endorses ICT University’s Digital Agriculture Project to Train 10,000 Youth
By Synthia Lateu
The Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo, has commended The ICT University for its innovative entrepreneurial initiative aimed at promoting agriculture among students.
In a recommendation letter dated July 13, the Minister stated that the program, which addresses major challenges related to youth employment, professional agricultural training, and food sovereignty in Cameroon, aligns with the Law on Higher Education promulgated by the Head of State on July 25, 2023.
The project, dubbed, AgriCampus-ICT-U/Digital Agriculture, operates on a five-year budget of 996 million CFA francs, with projected revenues of 830 million CFA francs, a net present value of +190 million CFA francs, a return on investment of 13.89%, and a break-even point projected for the fourth year.
Through this initiative, The ICT University trains 2,000 students annually in a practical environment, amounting to 10,000 trained over five years. The training is structured into two cycles: a three-year bachelor’s degree focused on five strategic food crops (maize, rice, millet, groundnut, soybean), and a two-year master’s degree specializing in high-value-added sectors (rice, maize, soybean) with incubation of agro-entrepreneurial projects.
Out of the total trainees, 4,000 students will be directly involved in the Digital Agriculture module, which integrates ICTs, artificial intelligence (AI), and agricultural robotics. The module is designed to foster a new generation of connected agro-entrepreneurs, while making agriculture more attractive and innovative for young people in rural areas.
The 1,500-hectare site, developed in Tibati and Meyomessala, serves as the project’s main implementation zone. Each student is allocated a
0.125-hectare micro-plot where they apply theoretical knowledge, cultivate crops, and learn how to manage a small-scale agricultural business. A mini local processing unit adds value to part of the harvest, strengthening the local value chain.
The project also aims to incubate 500 rural microenterprises, with a projected 70% employment integration rate and a social profitability score of 0.88 out of 1. By incorporating advanced digital agriculture technologies, the project marks a significant technological shift in Cameroon’s agricultural training landscape, encouraging rural entrepreneurship and boosting national food security.
