To enhance technical proficiency: Nkafu Policy Institute equips youth on public policy analysis.

The annual event not only seeks to boost their technical and interpersonal competencies in policy analysis, communication, and advocacy, but also to contribute to evidence-based policymaking and fostering collaboration among stakeholders in Central African States. 

The three-day event, organised by the Nkafu Policy Institute of the Denise and Lenora Foretia Foundation, was placed under the theme: “Empowering policy leaders in Central Africa: Strengthening advocacy and stakeholder engagement”.

The Deputy Director of Nkafu Policy Institute, Dr Julienne Mesumbe, explained that Cameroon and the broader Central Africa are experiencing a lot of challenges in the health, economic and governance sectors amongst others.

She elucidated that the root causes of the challenges centre around the lack of human resources capable of strategically break down complex problems, some of the complex issues in the society and translate them into a clear write-up that policymakers can use. 

“So, this three-day workshop is intended to equip young individuals from all parts of the country, strengthen their ability to write, strengthen their capacity to think strategically and propose solutions,” she stated. 

The Deputy Director further mentioned that the training will help the participants identify policy window. 

“Those are moments where you understand that change is possible and be able to push strategically evidence-based alternatives to the government,” she added.

The first day of the workshop focused on the foundations of public policy analysis with key modules on public policy cycle, theoretical perspectives in public policy analysis, and policy implementation, amongst others. 

One of the facilitators, Dr Fabien Sundjo, explained that there are four stages involved in the policy cycle drafting which was important to brief the participants on. These are agenda setting, policy formulation, policy implementation and policy evaluation.

“We're seeing policy as an advice from policy advocate and advice from policy champion and policy influencer. and I believe with the training that we gave them today, they are going back as real policy champion and policy advocate” Dr Sundjo said.  

The expert further told The Guardian Post that: “In the first stage, which is agenda setting, I taught them how to identify an issue in the community and how to convert that issue into a political problem that will be accepted by the government and that will be considered in the political agenda. Then as far as policy formulation was concerned, I told them to draft it with skills and technique by using the cost-benefit analysis”.

In the course of the three-day training, Dr Theophile Nguimfack, researcher at the Nkafu Policy Institute and workshop facilitator, will moderate a panel entitled: "Theoretical perspective in public policy analysis, application of theories to public policy analysis". 

Going by him, the panel discussion will enable participants to master the keys to analysing public policy from a theoretical perspective.

“It's about giving them the keys to understanding and the keys that will enable them to analyse concrete phenomena in public policy,” Dr Nguimfack affirmed. 

Participants hail initiative

One of the participants, Matheus Joseph Hermes of Breex AI startup, hailed the Nkafu Policy Institute for initiating the Public Policy Analysis and Advocacy Course.

“In the current context of participatory development at the national level, at the end of this training course, I see myself actively contributing to internal development in terms of research, strategic document design, and internal policy design,” Hermes said.

Nji Ruth Mbikang, another participant, said the training has been mind-blowing. 

Despite being a trained engineer concerned with issues related to research and development, she confessed her recent interest in other political and social issues affecting the life of the nation. 

The training, she asserted, gives her a strong base to look at things from different perspectives.

“I've taken it upon myself to be one of the people who will do it. Therefore, I need more training on courses like policy analysis, public policy analysis, politics, because it's not my domain of expertise,” she stated.  

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3681 of Thursday January 22, 2026