Case studies are always good practice for students looking to join the ad world, but when the opportunity to pitch to actual clients presents itself, “it’s more fun than a puppy with two tails,” said Professor Jim Avery of the University of Oklahoma.

As part of the Advertising Account Planning course at the University of Oklahoma, a class of 19 students was tapped to pitch recommendations on how Cameroon could boost tourism. The project was structured like a competition, spanning the entire spring semester. At the end of the semester, the minister of tourism traveled to Oklahoma to choose the winning group. The students then had just 10 days to polish and perfect their pitch before traveling to the coastal country in west central Africa to present to the minister of tourism and leisure, the minister of agriculture and more than 50 other representatives and Yaounde University students*.

The recommendations, which include an overhaul of the Cameroon brand image as a transportation hub and a better online presence that utilizes SEO more effectively, are still being reviewed by the ministry. “I personally feel satisfied with the results of the project,” Joseph Nji, chief of service for tourism and hotel management training for the country’s ministry of tourism, told Ad Age. “Implementation will depend on the discretion of the minister of tourism, who is budget manager.” As far as other research projects related to Cameroon tourism, Mr. Nji said there aren’t any. However, the work the students did is definitely part of a bigger push the ministry is working on.

Chelsey Johnston, a graduate student at University of Oklahoma, said working on a project with a real-life problem was incredibly challenging. “They’re putting all this money into tourism and they were wondering why their numbers haven’t been increasing. So they wanted us to create a strategy to better their tourism and encourage more Americans to come to Cameroon. It’s a huge project.”

While visiting the country, the students had their own glimpse at what a tourist to Cameroon would experience — from heckling with the natives on merchandise to eating termites, porcupine and pond shrimp the size of their hands. Ms. Johnston said that the opportunity is there, but the issue is awareness.

Upon their return, the three students — two undergraduates and a graduate student — agreed that despite a language barrier, the experience was something they’ll never forget. “Going into account planning, this was a great experience. We presented for an hour; I was really nervous getting to it,” said Brennen Schleuter, one of the participating students. “It was really like unraveling a mystery. We can pitch anyone anything because we just pitched to Cameroon on their tourism. That experience will definitely pay off.”

The opportunity came about after Mr. Avery, who is a veteran of Saatchi & Saatchi, was invited to teach a class at Yaounde University in Cameroon last year. While there, the administrator of finance asked if he would be willing to do a project for the country. “I said yeah. It’ll be fun,” Mr. Avery recalled. So he made it into a learning experience for his class. “What I would like is that the students get smart and experienced in presenting to high-level people,” Mr. Avery told Ad Age while waiting to board the plane to Cameroon. “Then the students get really excited and take ownership of the project.”

The trip was paid for by the ministry. Considering the travel to and from Cameroon, room and board, and the cost of visas and shots, expenses totaled around $25,000. While Mr. Nji said he’s unsure what kinds of projects could be possible in the future, the ministry did ask if Mr. Avery could execute simple things the country could do right away — press releases, brochures, etc. Mr. Schleuter said he’s ready for more work anyway. “The trip was too short. I’m already making plans to go back during the summer to continue working on projects.”

Riley Wilson | 21 May 2012 | Advertisement Age |

* Comment taken from original story.

Debunking the rumours which have been circulated around the internet of late, Dr Tsala Essomba said that the statement credited to former Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Henri Ayissi accusing Joshua of diabolic practices does not reflect the belief of Cameroon’s populace.

“With regards to what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is doing through T.B. Joshua in his country and several other countries where he has been invited, we are delighted to say that the proof of his apostleship is not anymore a disputable matter,” said Essomba, the founder and president of Cameroon’s Pentecostal Christian Churches.

Writing in Nigeria’s evening newspaper PM News, the media house that initially broke the story of Joshua’s purported blacklisting in Cameroon, Essomba added, “We want to affirm our belief in Joshua’s ministry and to present our firm conviction to the fact that he is a source of inspiration and great blessing to the church of God all over the world.” He extended an invitation to Joshua to visit Cameroon, stressing that Ayissi’s communiqu was inconsequential and the majority of Cameroonians supported Joshua wholeheartedly.

Simon Ateba of PM News, who wrote the first story entitled, ‘Cameroon Blacklists TBJoshua’, added in the article that Joshua is ‘immensely popular in Cameroon’ and pilgrims regularly troop from there to The SCOAN in Lagos, Nigeria. He reported on Joshua’s rise to prominence in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and various African nations, especially since his accurate prophecy relating to the death of Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika.

“Since Mutharika’s death, stories on T.B. Joshua, his predictions and miracles have been front page news in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and a horde of other southern African countries where the 48-year old preacher from Ondo State, southwest Nigeria, is extremely popular,” Ateba reported.

Although controversial, T.B. Joshua continues to rise in both awareness and acclaim, especially due to the popularity of his Christian television station Emmanuel TV, which is watched in millions of homes across Africa on a daily basis.

Notable African politicians to visit to his church in Lagos include Ghana’s President John Atta Mills, Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangarai, Malawi’s new head Joyce Banda and Winnie Mandela of South Africa.

Eric Abena |May 19, 2012 | Douala, Cameroon

SOURCES:
Africa News – http://www.africanews.com/site/CAMEROON_TB_JOSHUA_YOU_ARE_WELCOME/list_messages/41703

Related articles

• Cameroon’s Minister Eyebe Ayissi blacklists TB Joshua, Calls him ‘Son of the Devil’(erasmodelavega.wordpress.com)

  ---

• TB Joshua: When Prophecy Doesn’t Fail(barthsnotes.com)

  ---

• I Was Not BANNED From Cameroun – T.B Joshua(naijapen.wordpress.com)

  ---

• TB Joshua prophesied French election results(watchtbjoshua.wordpress.com)

  ---

Camerpress | 19 Mai 2012 |

Related articles

• Golden Knights Lead Team USA at Military World Games(waronterrornews.typepad.com)

  ---

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Cameroon as you celebrate your 40th anniversary of the Republic this May 20.

Our two countries are partnering together to address issues of democracy, good governance, and economic development. U.S. companies are investing and expanding their activities in Cameroon. I am pleased that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is assigning two Americans to work on a range of development projects, including a new $16 million Food for Education program in Cameroon’s Far North Region.

We hope to continue to work with Cameroon to consolidate democratic gains and economic growth; particularly as you embark upon municipal and legislative elections planned for 2013. We support your efforts to strengthen electoral institutions, enhance transparency and allow for contestation of results. As you celebrate your National Day, know that the United States stands with you as a partner and friend. We are committed to this relationship for a brighter future for all Cameroonians.

Source: US Department of State

Related articles

• Herakles Farms is cutting the heart out of Cameroon’s rainforest(cameroonwebnews.com)

  ---

Project Description from the Architects:

The design of the new Swiss Embassy in Yaoundé pays tribute to its renewed presence in the Cameroon and a respect for the uniqueness of the site. The resulting proposal is an elegant ensemble that encapsulates the identity and self-image of the Swiss people and their values. As a result the core concepts that guide this proposal are an expression of Swiss traditional know-how, and an understanding of what the Embassy can represent and achieve.

The qualities of a Swiss timepiece offer an interesting metaphor for a building with a complex and symbolic role. Not only does the mechanism and synchronised movement resolve the complexity and secure requirements of the Embassy itself, but it can also represent the underlying beauty of a pragmatic and essential artefact.

The three principal components that make up the Embassy complex, the Chancellery, the Ambassador’s residence and the staff quarters, are conceived as separate elements, and as the components of a timepiece each is expressed at its own scale. These principal elements are each informed and enriched by their own language and references. The Ambassador’s residence takes its form from the traditional Cameroon ‘Musgum’ house with living spaces arranged around a central space, in this case a circular court.  This arrangement provides visual and physical protection from the outside, retaining privacy for the Ambassador and his family, with a controlled environment within.  This carefully structured interior landscape and private garden becomes the conceptual heart of the residence and a tranquil oasis for informal social gatherings. The spatial and programmatic organization of the project is conceived so that the Embassy’s public entrance and interior space present an ambience of calm and assurance, with a functional arrangement that exudes precision in detail and movement. Public and private functions within the building are set apart from each other, with public services located on the ground floor and private Embassy functions on the floor above. The Ambassador’s office has been strategically placed at the centre of the proposal, as its symbolic beating heart.

Achieving a sustainable design was key to the process, from an innovative selection of engineered building components to the building’s orientation. Digitally controlled external sunshades manufactured in Switzerland respond to and protect the interiors from the intense heat/solar gain and the resulting energy savings to provide cooling.  The exposed concrete structure provides the thermal mass to reduce peak-period cooling demands and highly efficient lighting systems and a strongly insulated building skin reduce the overall energy consumption. A low maintenance “sedum” green roof over the Chancellery provides considerable energy savings, while the roof-mounted solar panels generate green electricity to reduce energy requirements for the heating of water. The installation of photovoltaic panels contributes to the Embassy’s annual power requirement. Internal heating and cooling will be effectively achieved by boreholes/earth tubes or crypt cooling, allowing air to circulate through large diameter underground pipes, with internal heat build-up by circulating air and discharging via a stack. The proposal makes efficient use of the intense rainfall and humidity in this region. The roof over the Residency is suspended over a ventilated void to keep the roof dry. The rainwater collected from the Chancery roof is stored and used for irrigation and grey water purposes. Rainwater collected from the garden is naturally purified and stored as potable water for the entire complex.

The calm external simplicity of the proposal conceals an inner complexity. The layered and interconnecting spaces are developed from the concept diagrams of the time-piece mechanism. The passing of time is represented by the constantly changing patterns of shadows that are cast across the internal wall and floor surfaces. The interconnecting internal spaces, clad in natural materials, retain the complex fascination that lies within the casing of a timepiece. Constructed according to Swiss “Minergie Standards,” the new Embassy will be an exemplar of efficient and sustainable energy, learning from and integrating the qualities of the Cameroonian and Swiss people and their cultures.

Location: Yaoundé, Cameroon
Use: Swiss Embassy, Ambassador Residence and Staff quarters
Client: Swiss Confederation, OFCL
Design: Matteo Cainer Architects Ltd

In an era where boat rides and packed bus rides across the Ekok borders are non-existent, PSquare arrived in grand style. Is that First Class or private jet? Whatever it is, they’re big boyz.

Bienvenue au Cameroun.

Cameroon Web News| 18 May 2012 | Yenih’s World

Board of Governors - International Monetary Fund (IMF) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Press Release 12/181
May 17, 2012

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Mr. Mario de Zamaróczy, visited Cameroon during May 2–16, 2011 to conduct the 2012 Article IV Consultation. The mission met with Prime Minister Philémon Yang, Minister Secretary General at the Presidency Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Minister of Finance Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of Economy, Planning, and Territorial Development Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, several other ministers, the National Director of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), other senior officials, and representatives of the private sector, labor unions, civil society organizations, and development partners. The discussions focused on recent economic and financial developments, the execution of the 2012 budget, and the economic outlook for 2012 and beyond. At the end of the mission, Mr. de Zamaróczy issued the following statement:

“The recovery of the Cameroonian economy has continued following the 2008-09 global crisis, with economic growth estimated at 4.2 percent in 2011, and inflation contained below 3 percent. Economic prospects remain favorable and growth is projected to reach 4.7 percent in 2012, mainly on account of a rebound in oil production and exports, an increase in public investment on large infrastructure projects, and ongoing initiatives to improve productivity in agriculture. Inflation is expected to remain subdued in 2012, mainly because of efforts to increase food supply and continuing government subsidies on fuel and some utilities.

“During 2011, oil revenue was higher than expected, past payment obligations were cleared, and more flexibility was achieved in cash flow management through the issuance of securities. However, current expenditure exceeded budgetary allocations and new unsettled payment obligations were accumulated. Efforts were made to strengthen tax and customs administration, improve public expenditure management, and deepen the dialogue with the private sector through the Cameroon Business Forum.

“The 2012 budget is expected to benefit from windfall oil revenue generated by current high international prices. However, the execution of the budget could be hampered by the carryover of unsettled payment obligations and the higher-than-budgeted cost of fuel subsidies. In addition, it is uncertain whether the full amount of the planned bond issuance will be absorbed by the domestic and regional financial market. The budget could also come under pressure from contingent liabilities from the restructuring of distressed banks and from assistance to loss-making public enterprises. To ensure that budget execution will not lead to further accumulation of domestic arrears, the mission recommended to strengthen cash flow management and to reprioritize expenditures, taking into account the financing that may realistically be mobilized.

“To preserve fiscal and debt sustainability over the medium term, it is important to reassess the fuel subsidy policy. A progressive elimination of the fuel subsidy could be accompanied by the setting up of a targeted social safety net to protect the most vulnerable segments of the population. The authorities should improve spending commitment controls to prevent further accumulation of domestic arrears and look for concessional resources to finance public investment, whenever possible. It is necessary to start rebuilding fiscal buffers. The mission supported the authorities’ decision to assess contingent liabilities fully and strengthen the monitoring of the performance of public enterprises.

“The mission urged the authorities to conclude the resolution process of distressed banks swiftly to preserve financial stability and minimize costs to the public finances. It emphasized the need to engage the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CAEMC) authorities to enhance the regional supervisory body’s resources and to further define rules and decision mechanisms for the treatment of troubled banks. The mission also encouraged the authorities to speed up the implementation of reforms to remove obstacles to accessing bank credit.

“To unlock Cameroon’s growth potential, the mission agreed with the authorities that it is critical to reduce the constraints to higher and more inclusive growth by continuing to address infrastructural bottlenecks, raise the quality and efficiency of public spending, and improve the business climate and governance. It is also important to accelerate regional integration. The mission was encouraged by the authorities’ commitment to take action to help achieve these objectives.

“The IMF’s Executive Board is expected to examine the report on the 2012 Article IV Consultation with Cameroon in July 2012. The mission would like to thank the authorities for their warm hospitality, excellent cooperation, and constructive dialogue.”

Related articles

• Statement by the IMF Mission in Senegal(appablog.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Herakles Farms is cutting the heart out of Cameroon’s rainforest(cameroonwebnews.com)

  ---

• Moroccan firm to build Cameroon chocolate factory(erasmodelavega.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Statement at the Conclusion of an IMF Staff Mission to Malawi(appablog.wordpress.com)

  ---

Globally famed and politically-influential Vincent Bolloré, President Director General of the business empire exited an hour-long audience with Biya in Yaoundé on Monday, May 14, beaming with evident elation.  He had just secured fresh confidence from the Cameroonian leader accompanied by the green-light to embark on new investments in the country’s railway, ports and renewable energy sectors.

Accosted by reporters, the French tycoon divulged plans to build a rapid railway line between the capital Yaoundé and the economic hub Douala in the short-term.  “We’ve given ourselves one year to complete the project,” he explained.  In other words, by May next year, commuters regularly shuttling between the country’s foremost urban settlements will have another option.

Bolloré further disclosed he and Biya discussed other projects, including his group’s intention to stretch out Cameroon’s railway lines into neighboring Central African countries, additional investments at the Douala International Terminal which handles import- and export-bound containers, as well as ventures in renewable energy and at the Kribi deep seaport whose construction is only just beginning.

“The Head of State is very preoccupied with economic and employment issues and he’s a man who judges the fidelity of investors and he knows that despite the current economic situation, we’re here and doubling our efforts at helping develop Cameroon,” he added.

The Bolloré Group already owns the Cameroon Railway Corporation [CAMRAIL], has dominion over the Douala port container terminal, alongside multiple investments in the food-processing, etc sectors.  It currently employs some 7,000 people and mostly locals.  “We’re planning to move up to 10,000 employees over the next five to seven years and the new activities should enable that,” he said, adding that the group has earmarked a 50-billion FCFA investment package.

Meantime, the Bolloré Group has frequently come under fire from critics who say since the privatization of the country’s railway network, it has done little to expand national coverage.  In fact, several lines have been suppressed, and commuters regularly complain of cancelled trips and sluggish rides.  Elsewhere at the Douala port, nationals have been incessantly agitating against the monopoly granted the group in the handling of containers.

According to the industrialist, his group’s interest in Cameroon is essentially inspired by the country’s reigning political stability and “the competence and quality of its human resources.”  Created some 190 years ago, the group has been present in Cameroon for over half-a-century.   “I think that I will be coming back here within the next 12 to 18 months to see how we can benefit from this renewable energy wealth that you have here -  the sun,” he concluded.

Divine Ntaryike Jr | May 17 2012 | ThePostonline|

Related articles

• Moroccan firm to build Cameroon chocolate factory(erasmodelavega.wordpress.com)

  ---

• New Cameroon national carrier Camair-Co fails to reach first year targets, but continues to grow(cameroonwebnews.com)

  ---

• Nigeria, Cameroon to jointly exploit hydrocarbons(vanguardngr.com)

  ---

Starting and finishing the day with training, the players have no money to go out and often no money to eat.

Nyengue recounted that he had to fork over $1,040 this past January for the opportunity to join FC Elit, a Tbilisi-based team he believed was in Georgia’s second division. “The owner of the team picked me up at the airport and said, ‘Welcome to Georgia,’” Nyengue said. “He took me to a flat and I knew something was wrong. It was like something from a Cameroonian village.”

The flat that housed FC Elit’s African players, according to Nyengue, was in the Tbilisi velodrome, a dilapidated Soviet-era facility that no longer hosts bike races, and which also sheltered Internally Displaced Persons. “When I walked in, there were 10 guys sleeping in a single room. There was no heater,” Nyengue said.

The ambitions of FC Elit’s owner, Guga Babashvili, may not have been matched by the amount in his checkbook. It appears the club’s professional status was never firmly established. According to officials from the Georgian Football Federation (GFF), the club never paid its 2,000 lari ($1,200) registration fee.

In all, 11 Cameroonian football players came to Georgia, starting in August of last year, hoping to jump start their professional careers. But before they could make it on to the playing field, they had to shell out some coin. On top of picking up the cost of plane tickets, some paid their agents up to $2,500, or wired half of that amount directly to Georgia for the opportunity to play with FC Elit. They also claim they were hit up after arrival for $1,000 supposedly to pay for additional fees and expenses.

Those players who could afford to do so paid the cash. “When my brother called me from Tbilisi and told me he needed money to play football, I thought, ‘What kind of team is this?’ Tell me, where in the world does a football player need to pay to play?” asked Patience Songue, whose brother, striker Martin Songue, paid the requested $1,000.

The players say their contracts guaranteed them housing, food, pocket money and health coverage. In reality, they claim they often went days without food. Meals would appear only when another player had been recruited, they alleged. Otherwise they eat mostly bread and water.

“You know it’s bad when you look at a cat or a pigeon and tell yourself ‘I could eat that,’” said 21-year-old Reginald Essemi, a left-winger. One local baker gave them free bread; other neighbors offered food and bedding.

Babashvili, FC Elit’s owner, contests the assertions made by the players. He acknowledges that players paid some money, but denies that they were housed at the Tbilisi bicycle track. He also says the team is now registered with the Tbilisi Football Federation, an amateur confederation. Babashvili’s former business partner, Oswald Nkhono, a native of Cameroon who now lives in Tbilisi, denied taking money from players. He also said that Babashvili “handled all the financial transactions.”

One of the 11 Cameroonian players has returned to his native country. The 10 who remain in Georgia face an uncertain future. Although they have received release documents from Babashvili, the chances that any of the 10 can catch on with another Georgian club are slim. A major barrier is the hefty fee, as high as 15,000 lari (almost $9,000), that a club must pay to the GFF in order to place a foreign player on its roster.

GFF representatives are aware of the players’ plight, but say there is little they can do. “If anything is illegal, it’s police business, not the federation’s,” said Irakli Nakaidze, head of the GFF transfer department, which oversees the employment of foreign players on Georgian teams. “The relationship between the player and the club is theirs.”

A representative of the Georgian mission of the International Organization of Migration said that if players came to Georgia under misleading pretenses, then the national football associations should feel an obligation to get involved. “I believe there should be a campaign jointly with the government, football associations, and perhaps NGOs that provide aid to those players that need it,” said IMO program coordinator Marc Hulst.

First Deputy Interior Minister Ekaterine Zguladze told EurasiaNet.org that the ministry was not familiar with the Cameroonian soccer players’ case, but noted that they could petition the Interior Ministry for assistance with returning to Cameroon, request “case compensation” from the General Prosecutor’s Office, or file a lawsuit against FC Elit owner Babashvili.

Reluctant to trust anyone, the soccer players see none of those options as a viable way forward. They have not turned to the police for help because, in their experience in Cameroon, law enforcement is corrupt. Nor do they have the funds to finance a lawsuit. And returning home would be humiliating since their families made many sacrifices to pay the fees to get them to Georgia, they say.

The athletes’ experience highlights a broader issue involving Africans who travel to Georgia seeking career advancement, only to end up getting burned. For example, advertisements in countries such as Nigeria tout vocational courses in tourism management with vague promises of later employment. One such school required students to hand over $1,500 each for tuition and fees, but proved to be only an empty classroom with six desks and one teacher.

First Deputy Interior Minister Zguladze says such cases have diminished in number since the ministry began scrutinizing visa applications from African travel agents for study at Georgian vocational schools. “If … we see that it is a cheap, little private office applying for visas for five people a year from somewhere like Nigeria, we automatically deny the applications,” she said.

Nigerian Sylvester Chinyelugo, a Tbilisi State University doctoral candidate in international affairs, says the pattern of victimization begins in Africa, where prospective migrants don’t educate themselves about their intended destinations before they leave home. “People come here expecting to go to America,” he said. “They don’t know what they are doing, or where they are.”

Photos:

Paul Rimple and Justyna Mielnikiewicz | May 16, 2012 | Eursianet|

Related articles

• Herakles Farms is cutting the heart out of Cameroon’s rainforest(cameroonwebnews.com)

  ---

• Public manifestation by Cameroonian artists against the impending P Square concert(cameroonwebnews.com)

  ---

Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

U.S. President Barack Obama has invited a number of African leaders to join the upcoming G8 summit for a discussion on food security in the continent, White House announced on Thursday.

The leaders being invited include Chairman of the African Union and President of Benin Yayi Boni, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Ghanaian President John Mills and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, the White House said in a statement.

They will join leaders at the G8 summit at Camp David on May 19 for “a discussion session on accelerating progress towards food security in Africa,” said the statement.

The G8 summit is due to be held at Camp David in Maryland on May 18 and 19.

Millions of people, especially those in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, have suffered from the worst drought in 60 years, which struck the Horn of Africa in 2011.

In late April, the United States announced an additional 120 million U.S. dollars in aid to help the region to cope with the crisis, bringing the total U.S. aid to more than 1.1 billion dollars.

Xinhua| May 14 2012 |

Related articles

• President Mills to talk Africa’s food security at G-8 Summit on Obama invitation(ghanabusinessnews.com)

  ---

• Obama invites Mills to G8 Summit; Zuma and Goodluck dropped(africanleader.net)

  ---

• President Jonathan not Invited to G8 summit(thenigerianoracle.com)

  ---

• Obama invites African leaders to G8 summit(menkemethiopia.wordpress.com)

  ---