Minister Nalova Lyonga Receives Recognition for Advancing Secondary Education Reforms
Professor Nalova Lyonga, the Minister of Secondary Education, received the “Best Minister of 2023” title at a glittering ceremony held at the Yaoundé Hilton Hotel. The event was attended by dignitaries, diplomats, leaders of civil society, traditional rulers, and other notable people.
The Cameroon English Newspaper Publishers Association (CENPA) awarded the honor after a demanding screening procedure. A distinguished jury that included Ngah Christian, president of CENPA and Editor-in-Chief of the Guardian Post; Barrister Akere Muna, an international lawyer and anti-corruption advocate; King of Kumba, Paramount Ruler of the Bafaw; Senator Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, who served as the jury secretary; and Esther Omam, an executive director of the NGO Reach Out, among others, made the final decision.
For her “sterling pedagogic achievements and first-class overhaul, professionalization, and alignment of Cameroon’s secondary education sector with contemporary practices,” Professor Lyonga received high accolades from the judges. The event’s attendees praised her achievements and emphasized that the award was richly merited considering the substantial advancements she has achieved in Cameroon’s secondary school system.
Professor Lyonga wrote a letter to jury president Barrister Akere Muna expressing her gratitude, even though she was unable to attend the ceremony because of an earlier commitment with schools outside of Yaoundé. She wrote to the jury, thanking them for honoring her work at the Ministry of Secondary Education, saying, “I am thoroughly overwhelmed by this great nomination.”
Professor Lyonga has led a number of improvements that have received significant praise since her appointment in 2018. Her efforts have raised the bar for professionalism in the industry and greatly increased the legitimacy of exams. Her appointment as Minister of Secondary Education was widely seen as a wise decision by President Paul Biya, who is currently viewed as one of the most capable leaders in the nation.
Throughout her tenure, Professor Lyonga has demonstrated a dedication to enhancing school discipline and hygiene, regaining the trust of exams, and fighting corruption. She has also tried to facilitate teachers’ integration and has persevered in the face of many obstacles, such as student drug usage and juvenile criminality, by working together to find solutions.
Her leadership has made a significant difference in the battle against drug addiction in schools, as she has effectively involved stakeholders and produced noteworthy outcomes. Her “Seven Concepts in Education” are also well-known, and Cameroon’s secondary school system has benefited greatly from them. These ideas include Operation Clean School, maintaining standards for teaching, guaranteeing the validity of exams, encouraging innovative thinking in the face of uncertainty, pushing for massive and continuous digitization, and imposing order on the Parent-Teacher Association funding management system.
Minister Nalova Lyonga has achieved a lot, yet she never stops working to improve her country. She is still committed to tackling other important concerns, including bettering family benefits and working conditions. Her accomplishments are notable in the present administration that is notorious for its mediocrity, and she is widely considered as one of President Biya’s strongest and most devoted supporters. This raises concerns about how she continually produces such amazing outcomes.