In a powerful declaration of institutional ambition and commitment to human capital development, the Yaounde International Business School (YIBS) officially matriculated over 1,300 new Higher National Diploma (HND) freshmen for the 2025/2026 academic year. The ceremony, held on November 15, 2025, at the Sts. Peter and Paul Anglophone Parish Hall in Simbock, marked the beginning of a transformative chapter for the new students, integrating them into a dynamic academic community that has firmly set its sights on becoming one of Africa’s leading business and professional institutions.
The event was a confluence of academic rigour, strategic vision, and moral emphasis, featuring stirring speeches from the President of YIBS, Acho Godfred Taku and a representative from the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP), Sevidzem Patricia alongside a formal induction of the new student body and the launch of key institutional initiatives. The sheer scale of the matriculated class underscores YIBS’s growing reputation and its pivotal role in realizing Cameroon’s vision of becoming a knowledge-driven and opportunity-rich nation.
YIBS: A Citadel for Innovative Training
In his address, the President of the Yaounde International Business School, Acho Godfred, welcomed the new students with a “profound sense of pride,” extending warmest congratulations to the freshmen who had earned their place in the institution. He articulated the core vision of YIBS: to be a “citadel for innovative training, that develops competent entrepreneurs and disciplined professionals to drive performance and shape the future”.
The institution’s commitment to providing a world-class learning environment is strategically designed to position YIBS as a top-tier higher institute. The President highlighted several recent awards demonstrating the success of this strategy, including:
- The 2021 Best Higher Institute award.
- The 2024 Best Higher Education Institute award.
- The 2024 Most Outstanding Non-State University in Central Africa award.
- The 2024 Most Innovative Institute award.
Acho Godfred affirmed that YIBS is recognized for four essential pillars: quality education, entrepreneurship, professionalism, and morality.
Delivering quality education requires substantial investment, and the President detailed the heavy investment in state-of-the-art facilities designed to enhance both theoretical understanding and practical learning. These investments ensure students graduate as competent, practice-oriented professionals ready for the demands of their fields or prepared to create their own start-up businesses.
Key infrastructure highlights include: well-equipped medical laboratory and demonstration room for hands-on experience for medical and biomedical students; an IT laboratory undergoing major updates to become a fully modernized digital learning hub, currently equipped with stable internet access; and specialized laboratories for Fashion, Clothing and Textile, and Hotel Management and Catering to match industry standards.
The Entrepreneurship Imperative and Moral Formation
YIBS stands out as one of the very few higher institutions in Cameroon with a fully operational Business Incubation Center. This center has successfully supported students over the past two years in transforming ideas into viable projects, producing young entrepreneurs making a significant impact both nationally and internationally.
Beyond technical and business acumen, the President stressed that professional success is incomplete without strong moral values. Discipline and Integrity are emphasized as the core pillars of student formation. To uphold these standards, YIBS has implemented stringent disciplinary systems, including a Campus Discipline and Control Unit, to ensure a safe, orderly, and morally upright learning environment.
Architectural Milestone and Strategic Expansion
The President proudly announced the completion of a major architectural milestone at Campus B in Simbock: an elegant seven-storey building constructed right beside the existing six-storey structure, designed to provide a comfortable and conducive learning environment.
This new edifice significantly enhances the school’s capacity and resources, housing: modern lecture halls, specialized laboratories for Fashion, Clothing and Textile, and Hotel Management and Catering, administrative offices, including the offices for the new team of deans, Student Union offices as well as a beautifully designed restaurant staffed by expert chefs, ensuring the availability of high-quality meals.
Vision for the Future: New Engineering and Applied Science Programs
The strategic vision of YIBS is to become a school of reference in entrepreneurship and professional training within the next three to five years. To realize this, the institution is embarking on a massive program expansion by introducing new fields of study: Agricultural and Food Sciences, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Engineering.
These new programs will complement the established Schools of Business and Finance, Management, Communication, Medical and Biomedical Sciences, Tourism and Hotel Management, and Computer Engineering. The expansion plan also includes extending the campuses to create sufficient space for a modern sports complex, a key component of a contemporary university environment. Furthermore, YIBS continues to strengthen its network of strategic partners—companies and organizations providing industrial attachments, internships, and professional exposure—and welcomes new stakeholders committed to its vision.
The ceremony also featured an inspiring address from Sevidzem Patricia, Chief of Service for Information Carrier Counseling, representing the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP). She emphasized that the matriculation ceremony is a “declaration of purpose” and marks the official beginning of the students’ “professional transformation”.
The MINESUP representative praised YIBS as a private higher institute recognized by the Ministry that has “distinguished itself” by offering diverse, quality programs across various fields, thereby contributing meaningfully to the national vision of an “acknowledge driven and opportunity reach Cameroon”.
She challenged the freshmen to reflect on their aspirations and their contribution, noting that YIBS “does more than teach… it sharpens minds that can think critically, that can lead with empathy, and that can deal with integrity”.
Sevidzem Patricia affirmed the Ministry’s mission of guidance, information, and support for students, celebrating institutions like YIBS that share this vision, nurture excellence, and prepare students to create value in their communities.
Holistic Development and The President’s Cup
The commitment to holistic education extends beyond the academic curriculum. The President of YIBS officially announced the President’s Cup, an annual tournament featuring Football, Handball, and Basketball.
This competition is designed to promote physical development, teamwork, and healthy competition. The tournament’s value goes beyond winning trophies, focusing on the development of discipline, friendship, resilience, and institutional pride. All students were encouraged to participate, whether as athletes, supporters, or organizers, with the hope that the cup would inspire excellence in the classroom and beyond.
The colourful event concluded with several significant formal steps. All new students participated in the oath-taking ceremony, formally sealing their commitment to the institution’s values. This was followed by the proclamation of results from the student government election, the official handover from the outgone Students Union body led by Radah Kathleen, and the installation of the new student government by YIBS authorities. Other speakers, including a parent and an important personality, delivered motivational talks advising students on career opportunities and strategies for success. The ceremony was a powerful affirmation that YIBS is ready for its new students and that, together, they are poised to shape a future full of promise and fulfillment.
