The Higher Institute of Agricultural, Fisheries and Environmental Sciences (ISSAHE) has launched a new business incubator aimed at turning students and project holders into job creators in the agropastoral, agro-industrial and environmental sectors. The programme was recently presented in Yaounde by the institute’s promoter, Hon. Roger Melingui, as part of efforts to strengthen entrepreneurship and bridge the gap between training and employment.
During the launch, stakeholders explained that ISSAHE, created in 2021, had spent two years structuring the incubator before officially rolling it out. They described the institution as a third-generation university institute aligned with the 2023 orientation law promoting the university-business model and the student-entrepreneur approach. According to them, the initiative targets learners, young graduates, cooperatives, producer organisations, local councils and women seeking economic opportunities in agriculture and related sectors.
“Our mission is to make every student a job promoter,” Hon. Melingui said. He explained that the institute had introduced a support system covering land acquisition, administrative and financial management, marketing assistance and access to financing opportunities. According to him, the objective is to help participants transition from academic training to business creation in productive sectors of the economy.
Based in Essé, in the Mefou and Afamba division of the Centre Region, the incubator offers a six-month programme followed by two years of post-incubation monitoring. The programme is divided into three phases designed to help entrepreneurs develop viable business projects and improve access to markets and funding.
The first phase, which lasts one month, focuses on pre-incubation and enables participants to refine their business ideas and choose one of four core sectors. The second phase, lasting two months, focuses on technical and financial development through business plan preparation, practical training, financial management and pitch preparation.
The final three-month acceleration phase focuses on market access and financing. Participants are connected directly with buyers, partners and entrepreneurs backed by projects to support business growth and commercial opportunities.
Thomas Mengala Zomo, coordinator of the incubator, said the originality of the programme lies in its practical field-based approach. He explained that incubated entrepreneurs work on training farms and in processing workshops provided by the institute, while supervision combines on-site support with digital coaching across the eight councils of the department.
“The incubated entrepreneurs work on school farms and in transformation workshops provided by the institute,” Thomas Mengala Zomo said. He added that the programme combines physical supervision at production sites with digital support to ensure closer monitoring of projects in the field.
Access to the incubator is subject to a motivation test and an application fee of FCFA25,000. In return, participants receive technical support, access to equipment and networking opportunities with entrepreneurs who have already secured project financing.
Through this integrated model, ISSAHE aims to train operational technicians and entrepreneurs capable of creating value in agriculture and livestock activities, while positioning the institute as a reference centre for agribusiness training and enterprise development in the country.
Mercy Fosoh
