At inauguration of eco-friendly pavement stones production workshop: Minister Nalova Lyonga lauds MTN’s support to students' employability….

The Minister of Secondary Education, Prof Pauline Nalova Lyonga, has lauded the contribution made by leading multinational telecommunications company, MTN Cameroon, in pushing for the employability of secondary school students in Cameroon. 
The member of government made the positive remark Friday January 26 at the Government Comprehensive Secondary School in Bonaberi in Douala.
She was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of an eco-friendly mini-incubator, built by MTN Cameroon for the transformation of plastic waste to ecological pavement stones. 
The eco-friendly pavement stones production workshop has been built and equipped by MTN Cameroon employees and their partner companies as part of the 2023 Y’ello Care programme. 
MTN foundation the, non-profit arm of the MTN Cameroon and partners, contributed 71 million FCFA, of which 38 million FCFA was used for the construction and the rest for machinery acquisition. 
Built on 360 metres square piece of land, the Bonaberi workshop includes a paver incubator comprising five main machines: a shredder, a cold conveyor, a mixer, a hot conveyor, and a laying machine. 
The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of MTN Cameroon, Mitwa Ng'ambi, said the production workshop will be used to transform bottles and other plastic objects collected in and around Douala into environmentally-friendly pavement stones with a production capacity of 300 stones a day. 
She said the pavement stones produced will be used to improve the living environment of the city’s secondary schools and even improve or rehabilitate secondary roads.
Mitwa Ng'ambi said the functioning of the factory will be supported by an engagement campaign through which MTN Cameroon intends to encourage residents of Douala to contribute to the initiative by giving value and a new life to their plastic bottles and objects.

Minister overwhelmed by project
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Nalova Lyonga said she was overwhelmed with joy to preside over this ceremony which epitomises the partnership between the government and the private sector. 
Prof Nalova Lyonga said it has been the government’s mission, following the instructions of the Head of State, to develop on school entrepreneurship and as such more is expected to boost training in carpentry, pavement production, engineering and so on. 
She said by building eco-friendly pavement stones production workshop in technical schools, the Ministry of Secondary Education aims to give students a practical application for the theoretical lessons they receive in class and enable them to acquire new skills. 
She said the ministry intends to set up similar workshops in other technical schools across the country, as part of its "Clean School" programme.
This initiative will also give associations for people with disabilities the opportunity to take part in the collection of plastic waste
Minister Nalova Lyonga urged the school administration and local authorities to exploit the project. 
"School entrepreneurship can become a real way to get employed. As the Head of State said, the best thing you can do to any child is to promote entrepreneurial culture," she reiterated. 
"We have built 104 Mimi incubator financed by MINESEC but it doesn't commensurate what MTN has done. This is the starting of cleaning Cameroon by Cleaning Douala, if we can clean Douala, we would have reformed the economy. Making children anxious to bring plastic bottles for transformation will be good one," Minister Nalova Lyonga added. 

The Deputy Douala City Mayor, Dr Jeremy Sole, said the City Council was pleased with the innovation of such projects, the measures taken by the government to professionalize learning and encouraged employability of the younger generation. 
Dr Jeremy Sole noted that, aside the ecological impact and reduction of carbon emissions on the planet earth, the pavement stones will have a place as an optimal solution to construction projects going on in the city. 
He pledged to follow with particular attention to the evolution of the incubator. He thanked all those that made the project possible, especially MTN Foundation, for such perfect corporate social responsibility