Cameroon considers introducing military training in elite higher education programs

Cameroon’s government is considering introducing “basic or advanced military training” into the curricula of several elite higher education institutions, including the Higher Teacher Training Colleges (ENS), national polytechnic schools, and faculties of medicine and biomedical sciences. The policy direction is outlined in a letter sent on January 7, 2026, by Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo to the rectors and vice-chancellors of state universities. The initiative, led jointly with the Ministry of Defense, is intended to strengthen civic values among young Cameroonians.

The project builds on discussions launched in 2025 by the Ministry of Defense. In a letter dated November 14, 2025, Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo informed his higher education counterpart of the “opening of a reflection” on civic and military supervision for young people. He said the objective was to create appropriate conditions to provide future public servants with solid civic, moral, and physical training alongside their academic studies, drawing inspiration from past practices or from existing arrangements at the National School of Administration and Magistracy (Enam).

The Enam model as a reference

At Enam, military training is mandatory. First-year students in Cycle A undergo a 45-day program aimed at instilling “discipline, rigor, and leadership.” The training is conducted under a military boarding regime and includes intensive physical activities, national security courses, and an introduction to military techniques.

For the other institutions targeted, the proposed framework would follow a similar overall duration of 45 days. This would be structured around 15 days of physical preparation, followed by 30 days of military and strategic training. Jacques Fame Ndongo said the goal is to “create synergy between academic excellence and expertise in command, strategy, and crisis management, in order to train leaders capable of operating in complex civil and military environments.”

Operationally, the training programs would be implemented through partnerships between the institutions concerned, with funding to be borne by the requesting entities, according to Joseph Beti Assomo. Interested institutions would be required to formally approach the Ministry of Defense in advance, specifying participant numbers, training duration, and targeted objectives.

A return to a former practice in elite training

Military or paramilitary training in higher education is not presented as a new concept. In the early years following independence, the state incorporated civic and disciplinary components into the training of future public officials, particularly at Enam. Other elite schools also included, to varying degrees, modules focused on physical conditioning, moral education, and leadership, sometimes delivered by instructors from the defense forces.

This practice gradually declined from the 1990s onward, as university reforms and mass enrollment reshaped the higher education system. It is now resurfacing in an updated form, with a renewed focus on civic responsibility, governance, and leadership.

Patricia Ngo Ngouem