Following a contract signed Wednesday, July 27, between the Government of Cameroon and the Chinese Sichuan Telecommunications Construction Engineering Co. Ltd, 500,000 portable computers (laptops) would be provided free of charge to benefit Cameroonian university students.

The deal that comes into effect beginning this academic year 2016/2017 will see each student in both public and private higher institutions of learning going home with a laptop.

While speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo stated that the deal falls within the Head of State’s “special youth programme” announced last February 10, and it is part of the government’s plan to promote “e-national learning” in Cameroon.

Added to this is a digital project for the Cameroon-Congo University to be constructed in the South Region. As of now the conditions for distribution have not been established.

The entire project will cost about 75 billion FRS. It’s however, not free though students will get it for free. It is coming in the form of a loan from China Exim Bank, to be paid in 10 years’ time.

In a country where what is promised is usually different from actual realization, students should hold their celebrations as similar projects have not gone without misgivings.

An example is the procedure to obtain the 50,000 FRS offered every year to university students.

For the past ten years it has remained a source of rancor between students and the gov’t and the students at times do have to carry out strike action to be paid the money.

Even primary education that was announced to be ‘free’ by the President is becoming more expensive than when there was an officially regulated school fees.