Renewable energy: UB trains key actors on gender responsive energy transition.

This was on Tuesday August 26, 2025, during a workshop at the University of Buea. It was organised by the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, in partnership with the Non-Governmental Organisation, Village Women Organisation for Sustainable Development Cameroon, VIWOSUD CAM.

The 31 participants came from Buea, Tiko, Muyuka, Limbe I, Limbe II Councils and some civil society organisations.

Addressing participants during the opening ceremony of the workshop, Prof Michael Ekonde Sone, Deputy Vice Chancellor in-charge-of Teaching, Professionalisation and Development of ICTs, representing the Vice Chancellor, said the capacity-building workshop on gender-responsive energy transition fell in line with one of the main missions of the University of Buea.

He stressed that outreach in the University of Buea is always complemented by training, because the institution does a lot of innovation, innovative training, which have to benefit the community. 

Such a project where the institution works with a civil society organisation, he said, allows it to blend academia with civil society. This, he noted, is “because we have an NGO that is actually collaborating with the Faculty of Engineering and Technology to make this dream come true in Fako Division”. 

Prof Ekonde added that the choice of Fako was not by accident, but because of the influx of persons coming from all over Cameroon into Fako Division.

While launching ceremony, the Project Lead, Dr Wirnkar Basil Nsanyuy, a lecturer in the Faculty, Engineering, and Technology, said the capacity-building workshop was timely because participants will go back and sensitise the population on the use of solar systems. 

He noted that the transition to clean energy must be holistic with everybody on board and that such a transition will reduce the number of power outages witnessed in different parts of Cameroon. 

Dr Wirnkar explained that the participants were proposed by the mayors of the different municipalities involved because they want ownership of the knowledge gained by the trainees for these communities. These selection, he said, will ensure the participation of rural communities who are most affected by the issues of energy deficiency. 

In this light, he expressed his desire for the participants to go back to their communities with the knowledge to help in both designing and installing these systems or becoming trainers for others to gain such skills in the future. 

On her part, Tanda Mariana, the National Coordinator of Village Women Organisation for Sustainable Development Cameroon, VIWOSUD CAM, said it was an honour partnering with the university because as a women-led organisation working at the grassroots to ensure that the energy transition involves women. 

Getting women involved in such initiatives, she added, was crucial because they are the custodians of every action in the house or the household. 

“…we saw it very important that they should have this training, which they will get back to their communities, share and implement the knowledge gained. We intend to ensure that each household is impacted with the resources from this training,” Tanda added.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3547 of Thursday August 28, 2025