The BETAF project organized in Yaoundé on February 28, 2023 its first conference on entrepreneurial education and training in Africa, under the title : “What Entrepreneurial Education to stimulate Entrepreneurship in Cameroon?”.

The conference was rich in lessons on the structuring of the Cameroonian ecosystem of education and training in entrepreneurship, the actors who compose it, their strategies, its needs and the reforms necessary to make it a tool for the development of a class of innovative and resilient entrepreneurs. The three hours of time initially planned for the conference were largely exceeded and made it possible to reach the conclusions and recommendations contained below.

• The definition of entrepreneurship, still subject to controversy, is often limited to the private sector alone and deserves an effort to popularize its broader acceptions with the various stakeholders

• Entrepreneurship is and will be a systemic sector for Cameroon

• Mapping of the entrepreneurship education and training ecosystem reveals a multitude of public initiatives

• Access to financing remains difficult, both for entrepreneurs and for institutions supporting them

• A change in the paradigms of education and entrepreneurial training in Cameroon is necessary if the country is to benefit fully from the potential of this sector

• The dissemination of information around entrepreneurial education and training programs and initiatives must be reviewed in order to improve their accessibility by as many people as possible.

• The coordination of initiatives and the governance of the entrepreneurial training/education ecosystem must be quickly optimized

• Decolonizing entrepreneurial education and training and adapting it to local realities is necessary

• Perception of entrepreneurship must be changed and entrepreneurial culture in society must be spread

• Initiation to entrepreneurship must be sequential, if possible from primary school

• Decision-makers must promote among young people the acquisition of specific, operational skills that meet the needs of entrepreneurs and their markets rather than the quest for a diploma

• Particular emphasis should be placed on the development of opportunities for exposure to the professional world and the acquisition of experience during studies, particularly with VSEs/SMEs and associations

• Educational methods must be restructured to develop critical thinking and teamwork

• The content of education programs must promote, alongside key knowledge (financial management and fundraising, marketing, logistics, resource management), the development of certain skills in areas such as: resilience, emotional intelligence, detection and exploitation opportunities, ideation and the ability to develop solutions.

 TV

CRTV News, state-owned main national channel | Summary of the conference, during the evening TV news, and its stakes for Africa, notably the creation of enough entrepreneurial ventures to give an occupation to the millions of young people entering the job market 

BETAF Conference  CRTV English.mp4

CRTV TV, state-owned main national TV channel  | Summary of the conference during the evening TV news, presentation of the BETAF project and its impact for young entrepreneurs 

BETAF Conference CRTV Français.mp4

CRTV News, state-owned 24 hours, all news channel | Summary of the conference presented during the evening TV news 

BETAF Conference Cameroun Crtv News English

CRTV News, state-owned 24 hours, all news channel | Participation in a TV show to present the stakes of the conference in Cameroon and in other African countries and more generally the objectives of the Bettering Entrepreneurial Training in Africa (BETAF) project.

BETAF CRTV presentation of BETAF and conference.mp4

FACEBOOK

Summary of the Bettering Entrepreneurial Training in Africa conference held in Yaounde by the Cameroonian state-owned Web TV   

Language : French | https://fb.watch/i_b6MuTe6_/

TWITTER

Tweet #1 made by the Cameroonian state Web TV on key excerpts from the Bettering Entrepreneurial Training in Africa conference held in Yaounde. The latter highlights the number of young people (50 000) who arrive each year on the job market in Cameroon.
CRTVweb sur Twitter : "Pour le Pr Jean Paul MBIA, panéliste à la conférence sur l'entrepreneuriat à Polytech : " L’université camerounaise produit 50000 diplômés par an qui frappent aux portes de l’emploi" https://t.co/iHabrD7yDJ" / Twitter

Tweet #2 made by the Cameroonian state Web TV on key excerpts from the Bettering Entrepreneurial Training in Africa conference held in Yaounde. The panelist explains how entrepreneurial education could help reduce the failure rate among young enterprises.
CRTVweb sur Twitter : ""80% des entreprises créées au Cameroun ne traversent pas les 5 ans. C’est parce que l’éducation entrepreneuriale fait défaut" Olivier Dontsop. https://t.co/AWH6U7JuZ1" / Twitter

Tweet #3 made by the Cameroonian state Web TV on key excerpts from the Bettering Entrepreneurial Training in Africa conference held in Yaounde. It highlights one of the main discussion points of the conference : the need to promote critical sense and creativity in education, in general, and in entrepreneurial education, in particular in Cameroon.  
CRTVweb sur Twitter : "« On a une éducation qui est trop centrée sur l’enseignant. Du coup, on ne développe pas des compétences critiques et des entrepreneurs ». Steve Tchoumba, Président, ActivSpaces. https://t.co/jGGrAWqVlT" / Twitter

Tweet #4 made by the Cameroonian state Web TV on key excerpts from the Bettering Entrepreneurial Training in Africa conference held in Yaounde. Panelists discussed one of the issues plaguing Cameroonian entrepreneurial ecosystem: the quest to diploma rather than the one to competencies.
CRTVweb sur Twitter : ""Posons-nous cette question au Cameroun. Qu’est -ce qui est plus important ? La compétence ou les diplômes ?" Mme Mariette Bissene Moulongo , coordonnateur de l'incubateur à Polytech Yaoundé. https://t.co/OPqZbNFfRP" / Twitter

Tweet #5 made by the Cameroonian state Web TV on key excerpts from the Bettering Entrepreneurial Training in Africa conference held in Yaounde. Here, the discussion focused on the need to foster teamwork and team spirit in curricula, notably in Francophone Africa, as a core ingredient to develop a class of successful entrepreneurs.
CRTVweb sur Twitter : "« Les étudiants venant de l’Afrique Francophone sont plus individualistes, plus entrés dans la théorie que dans la pratique ? Contrairement aux étudiants de l’Afrique anglophone, plus pratiques, et aimant plus travailler en groupes » Pr Mama Foupouagnigni https://t.co/0IAVLuA2Mf" / Twitter

To get additional insights and to understand the detailed background of our project, feel free to check out our social media channels. There you will find further information on our research project!

• Twitter: @BetteringAfrica 

• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/betaf/ 

… 22% of Africa's working-age population start new businesses? That is the highest rate in the world!

… Africa is the only region in the world where more women than men choose to become entrepreneurs

… Africa has the largest free trade area in the world? The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was founded in 2018! Its trade has been commencing as of 1 January 2021!