Three years after their creation, Cameroon’s three new universities of Bertoua, Ebolowa, and Garoua are in distress due to infrastructure delays, a lack of internet connectivity, insufficient staff, and a perilous study environment for students.

Higher education and university authorities say they are preoccupied with infrastructure shortcomings that are affecting the quality of education at these institutions. More funds are vital to bridge the gap.

Speaking on state radio on 24 February 2026, Cameroon’s Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo, acknowledged the delays in completing vital infrastructure such as lecture halls, libraries, internet connections and electricity extensions. He blamed it on insufficient funds and the national budgetary crisis, among other issues.

“The country’s economic crisis is impacting infrastructure development in all sectors, including universities. We are, however, putting in efforts to seek more funds to bridge this gap,” Fame Ndongo said.

Heavy delays

Meeting in Yaoundé on 18 February at the fourth session of the ad hoc committee to monitor the implementation of the Presidential Investment Programme at the Universities of Bertoua, Ebolowa and Garoua, the higher education and university authorities reached some resolutions to accelerate work on the slowly ongoing infrastructure projects.

A communique from the ministry after the committee meeting says that, despite an investment of FCFA254.9 billion (about US$455 million) allocated for infrastructure construction since 2022, work on the different structures at all three universities remains heavily delayed, hampering the growing student population’s academic studies.

More funds are urgently needed to accelerate construction work in lecture halls and student residences to provide 8,640 additional places. The current focus on establishing water, electricity and internet connections for these institutions is imperative, the authorities say.

The committee expects about FCFA25.3 billion in additional funds to complete some infrastructure and provide social services. These funds are expected to come from the government investment budget, the public investment budget in the ministry of the economy, planning, and regional development, or MINEPAT, and the ministry of higher education, or MINESUP, the committee communique says.

Additional funds sought

Among other resolutions, the committee agreed to push for adjustments to the 2026 budget of the two ministries to make room for additional funds for the infrastructure of the three universities. They also agreed to lobby the ministry of finance, or MINFI, for priority payment of outstanding invoices at the relevant treasury.

The contracting companies conducting the building projects were given 21 days to resume work, and in the event of non-compliance, their contracts will be terminated, the communique states. A service order of the extended deadlines for completion of the work was also issued to the construction management teams at the three campus construction sites.

The committee says it has also contacted the ministry of water and energy and the ministry of posts and telecommunications to follow up on requests to the contracted electricity, water and internet supply companies.

Political blunder

Academics have blamed the government for creating universities for political reasons without economic considerations, describing the move as putting the cart before the horse.

“Creating a university, be it public or private, requires proper planning with a strong financial consideration to avoid embarrassment and disappointment. The economic consideration should precede political calculations,” Professor Owona Nguini of the University of Yaoundé I, told University World News.

Professor Dieudonné Emmanuel Pegnyemb, rector of the University of Bertoua, said that the government has failed to keep to its promise to provide these universities with the necessary infrastructure on time.

“Although the government gave all the assurances to speed up the infrastructure completion, this, unfortunately, has not been the case. This is a disturbing planning setback. However, we are glad they are trying to catch up,” he told University World News.

Students left in the lurch

Students say they continue to receive lectures in makeshift structures and sometimes open spaces, making the learning process perilous.

“While waiting for the completion of the university lecture halls, we have been using smaller lecture rooms at the teacher training college. Sometimes, when university lecture timetables clash with those of student teachers, we use an open space,” Andrew Ewang, a second-year student in economic management at the University of Bertoua, told University World News.

As with the other universities, the University of Bertoua has been running for three years without adequate electricity supply, with no internet, and empty libraries.

Culled from University World News by Queen Besumbu Agbaw