The Cameroonian government has secured official trademark registration for the Cameroon Students Ingenuity and Talent (CSIT), known by its French acronym GETEC, giving the student innovation platform exclusive branding rights across member states of the African Intellectual Property Organisation (OAPI). Authorities say the move is intended to support the promotion and commercialisation of products and services developed by Cameroonian students.
The registration was confirmed through publication in the Official Intellectual Property Bulletin (BOPI) No. 08MQ/2026 after OAPI issued the certificate to the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP). According to the ministry, the trademark protection is valid for 10 years and can be renewed upon expiry.
The GETEC trademark was registered as an individual brand and covers 31 classes of products and services, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, science, textiles, agriculture, trade, processing, industry, food production and agro-industry. The registration grants MINESUP exclusive rights to use the brand across all OAPI member countries.
The move marks a shift for GETEC beyond its role as an annual student exhibition by creating a protected commercial identity for student-designed products and services. The ministry said the registration strengthens the platform’s role in promoting innovation and supporting student entrepreneurship within Cameroon’s higher education sector.
According to officials, products and services seeking to use the GETEC label will have to meet technical and administrative requirements before obtaining certification. Authorities said a trademark attribution manual has already been developed to define eligibility conditions for applicants.
Prof. Joël Meyolo, coordinator of GETEC, said the label is intended to improve the credibility, visibility and attractiveness of student-developed products in domestic and international markets.
“On the national and international market, the objective is to provide more credibility, more visibility and greater attractiveness. Products or services seeking the label must be works developed by students or former students, comply with technical standards and obtain validation from laboratories that have signed agreements with MINESUP,” he said.
The process will also require a financial agreement between the ministry, which owns the trademark, and the creator of the product or service concerned. Officials said only approved products meeting all certification requirements would be authorised to carry the GETEC label.
Meyolo said some student-developed products already marketed internationally could soon be integrated under the GETEC trademark because they already possess the required authorisations.
“We already have products sold around the world whose quality is recognized. The objective is simply to transfer those products onto the GETEC brand. The first products bearing the GETEC label could therefore be presented in July 2026,” he said.
The official presentation of the trademark to students is expected during the eighth edition of the GETEC exhibition, which serves as a platform for showcasing innovation and entrepreneurship within Cameroon’s university sector.
Mercy Fosoh
