Cameroon: NASLA Welcomes Second Batch of Trainees to Shape the Future of Local Administration

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, Cameroon – The National School of Local Administration, NASLA, officially commenced the training of its second batch of students under the initial Training Programme for the 2024-2026 period. The ceremony, held on Wednesday, October 16, at NASLA’s Buea campus, was presided over by the school’s Director General, Tanyitiku E. Bayee.

In his opening address, Tanyitiku E. Bayee emphasized the importance of discipline, self-sacrifice, and hard work for the new trainees as they embark on their two-year journey at NASLA. Drawing attention to the pivotal role the institution plays in Cameroon's decentralization process, Bayee urged the trainees to fully commit to their training so that they would be well-prepared for future responsibilities in local administration.

Tanyitiku Bayee said: “What awaits them is two years of training. After orientation and counselling, that is the main activity for the rest of the week. We will be starting in the first year with the common courses, cycle A, cycle B, and cycle C for the first year, which will then be followed by the first period of the internship. And then they will come now for speciality. And followed by another internship. And then eventually they shall be drafting their end-of-training memoirs or reports and graduation.”

“NASLA is a prestigious institution that plays a key role in shaping the future of local governance in Cameroon,” he added, stressing that the success of the decentralization process depends heavily on the quality of professionals the school produces.

The Director General also highlighted the significance of personal integrity and rigour throughout the training period, encouraging the new batch of students to uphold these values as they prepare to serve in the public administration sector. The Initial Training Program is designed to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively manage local councils and regional administrations in line with the country's decentralization efforts.

“I would say that it is the beginning of a very important chapter for them. For those who intend to work in the domains and specialities of decentralization and local development. We are privileged to receive our second batch of initial training. It goes to say that there is already certain know-how that we in the school have in this kind of activity,” NASLA DG Tanyitiku Bayee said.

“On the part of the administration and the powers that be, everything will be put in place for them to have a hitch-free training program. But also, it depends on them, on how serious, how disciplined, and how assiduous they are going to be in the training. And so principally it is incumbent on them to put in place all the necessary conditions to have a successful two-year training program.”

NASLA was established with the primary objective of training administrators to support Cameroon’s decentralization policy, which aims to empower local governments and improve service delivery at the grassroots level. As the institution enters its second batch of the Initial Training Program, expectations are high for the new cohort to contribute meaningfully to the decentralization reforms upon completion of their training.

“My brothers and sisters who are handicapped, refusing to take a step, I wish to advise you to learn from me that our disability does not only permit us to sit and beg on the road, but we can also come to school like I have done,” one of the trainees, a physically challenged said.

“I expect that after my two years, I will be able to be a serious administrator and to promote decentralization as well.”

“I am so grateful, first, for allowing persons like us with challenges. They usually say disability is not an ability, but we usually say you cannot become disabled if there are no barriers. If there are barriers, that is where you become disabled,” another student said.

“We are so grateful to the government for accelerating inclusion, even at the level of decentralization. I want to congratulate NASLA for taking this bold step to be one of the first institutions to take this bold step. And to my peers out there who think it is impossible, and I am a living testimony to say it is possible. Across local administration, local finance, the way they were recruited, some are going to be trained in local administration and some who are going to be spread out and provided with specialization.”

The ceremony marked a new chapter for the 2024-2026 trainees, who were reminded that their training would be rigorous but essential for their future roles as local administrators.