The Minister Delegate in the Ministry of Transport, Mefire Oumarou, has reminded the pioneer students of the Higher Institute of Transport and Logistics (HITL) of the University of Bamenda (UBa) to enhance a sustainable business and socio-economic environment.

The Minister explained that the School was created to facilitate and build up specialised academic and professional knowledge at the highest standard in the fields of transport and logistics by adopting a solution-based approach to creating a viable, accessible sustainable business and socio-economic environment.

Mefire was speaking on February 19 on UBa campus during a two-day seminar to evaluate the programmes of that School that opened its doors some two years ago.

The School is intended to produce graduates who are suitably equipped with practical skills in modern transport and logistics to fit into all the niches with a lot of training for economic growth.

Being the only School in the Sub-Region that specialises in training students to be experts with professional Bachelors Degree in Land Transport and Logistics, Maritime Transport and Logistics, Transit and Logistics, Air Transport and Logistics and Customs, the Minister called on experts and students to be focused.

He told the students to be assiduous because one of the main reasons of creating the school was to bar the entry of foreign invaders who come in as experts. While insisting that Government is doing its best to ensure that the programmes are flexible and adaptable to meet the challenges in the field, he outlined the advantages that await the students upon graduation.

“You have to be solution providers because we do not want a situation where foreigners will come to invade the transport sector in Cameroon,” Mefirie advised.

The Vice Chancellor of UBa, Prof. Theresa Nkou Akenji, said the goal of the university is to achieve world-class excellence. As such, she said, it requires that the lecturers review their teaching methodology and align themselves with the changing trends in the world to become more competitive.

“Our programmes, therefore, must be relevant to the ever-changing demands of the market. Our products must be able to compete successfully in the job market,” Prof. Akenji averred.

The Director of the Higher Institute of Transport and Logistics, Professor Alexis Teguia, said, with the current enrolment of 274 students that have already undergone internship training in some private and public corporations, HITL, has proven its creativity and innovation by developing a new vision of professional training linking theory to practical knowledge.

He said the newest programme, Customs, added to the initial ones, will train Customs brokers who, upon graduation, will work with Customs Officers in the Ministry of Finance.