Yoshinori Sato and Kyoko Akiyama from the Iwatani College of Business Japanese Language School are currently in Cameroon for a working visit. Yesterday, November 25, 2019, in Yaounde, the Japanese teachers had a working session with the Minister of Secondary Education, Nalova Lyonga, in the presence of five other members of government during which they all appreciated the different domains of cooperation between the government of Japan and Cameroon, and how it can be reoriented to make Cameroon apt to emerge by 2035. 

While welcoming the Japanese delegation, the Minister of Secondary Education, Nalova Lyonga said their presence in Cameroon is due to the shared interest between Cameroon and Japan to establish a forum for dialogue on educational approaches, methods, identification and valuation of new areas of cooperation. She said cooperation between Japan and Cameroon in the field of education dates back to 2005 with the then Ministry of National Education. Japan, Professor Nalova Lyonga said, has been long involved with Cameroon in many sectors for its growth and development. 

Focusing particularly on the Ministry of Secondary Education, Nalova Lyonga said collaboration has been with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), mainly through the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) programme with focus amongst other things on the pedagogical and administrative support in technical education, particularly in the field of information technology, strengthening of Mathematics and Sciences in Secondary Education (SASSE Programme) and the construction of some primary schools. The Minister of Secondary Education said it was time to open up avenues of professional development for teaching staff, which is already in line with already existing cooperation with JICA. As such, the Minister of Secondary Education suggested to the Japanese partners the need to strengthen teachers’ didactic capacities in science, (mathematics) and technical fields such as equipment maintenance, automobile repairs and electronics and electrical engineering 

With the Japanese experience, the government hopes to organise Cameroonian youths to revamp our economy at all level of education.

Before visiting some schools in Yaounde, Mr Yoshinori Sato told the press they have come to Cameroon on behalf of the Government of Japan to improve relationships with universities in Cameroon, develop secondary and primary schools in the country and to develop cultural cooperation between Cameroon and Japan.  Today, the delegation will visit some schools in the South Region.