“Prof. Nkuo Theresa Akenji, you are a square peg in a square hole in academics. President Paul Biya appointed you to the helm of the University of Bamenda because of your ability, tenacity, flexibility and dexterity. Continue to make us proud!” were the words of admonition from Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo yesterday, December 14, 2015 in Bambili near Bamenda.

He was commissioning Prof. Nkuo Theresa Akenji as new Vice Chancellor of the University of Bamenda, UBa, in replacement of Prof. Tafah Edokat Edward, the five-year-old institution’s pioneer head. The crowd-puller in the Bambili campus of UBa assembled the cream of Cameroon’s higher education. The Minister challenged Prof. Nkuo to rise to expectation by ensuring the take off of the three newly-created faculties by January 2016 and speed up the payment of staff salaries and students’ output allowances.

According to the Chancellor of Academic Orders, the new Vice Chancellor is also expected to enhance theoretical and practical learning, increase digital governance and optimize research by placing UBa among the best in Africa. Jacques Fame Ndongo saluted the pioneer VC, Prof. Tafah Edokat Edward, for planting the university from scratch and supervising the erection of new buildings which the Minister later visited. 

The Mayor of Tubah Council, Martin Tanjong, hailed President Biya for infrastructural development and the creation of more faculties at UBa.  He restated the commitment of the population, especially the elite, to stand by government to promote education. He cited as examples efforts to erect the Amphi 700 lecture hall, renovation of some infrastructure in the neighbourhood and the allocation of 5,000 hectares for the development of UBa in Tubah. Mayor Tanjong also appealed for a double carriage way to ease traffic between metropolitan Bamenda and the university campus at Bambili.

Prof Nkuo Theresa, whom the Minister of Higher Education described as “an accomplished researcher and a fine academic,” boasts 51 scientific publications. Amongst other positions, she was Vice Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Dean, Faculty of Science and Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Internal Control and Evaluation – all in the same university. She is also National President of the Catholic Women’s Association (CWA).

Born in Wombong, Boyo Division of the North West Region, Prof. Theresa is married to Fon Akenji of Mbatu, Mezam Division. She attended Our Lady of Lourdes College, Mankon, Bamenda, Saint Mary of Woods College, Indiana, USA, State University of New York and the School of Tropical Medicine, Louisiana State University, where she got a PhD in Parasitology and Immunology.