To promote research on nutrition, medicinal plants…: JAOF Higher Institute of Science, JAOF Foods sign MOU with IMPM.

The MoU was penned Tuesday, January 27, 2026, in Yaounde. This was during a scientific meeting on food processing, nutrition and sustainable development.

The promoter of JHIS and JOAF Foods, Prof Julius Oben, signed for the institutions, while the Director General of IMPM, Prof Essame Oyono, signed for the State institution. This was in the presence of the Board Chair of IMPM, Prof Rose Gana epse Leke.

The partnership is to connect medical research, nutrition science, and food innovation in order to deliver safe, effective, and locally relevant solutions to Cameroon’s nutrition and public health challenges.

During the signing, it was disclosed that the partnership between the two institutions will enhance research, innovation and capacity building at the intersection of nutrition, medicinal plants and public health. 

It also aims at translating Cameroon’s rich biodiversity and scientific expertise into evidence-based functional foods, nutraceuticals, and nutrition interventions that contribute to disease prevention, food security, and sustainable development. The partnership also aligns with national priorities in medical research, preventive health, import substitution and valourisation of local resources.

Meanwhile, through research projects, post-graduate training, and product development initiatives, the partnership will support scientific validation of medicinal plants, food safety and toxicology studies, and the development of standardised, health-oriented food products derived from local raw materials.

The partnership also reinforces IMPM’s mandate in medical and medicinal plant research while positioning JAOF Higher Institute of Science and JAOF Foods as key contributors to food-based prevention, innovation, and research-to-market transition.  

Speaking after the singing of the MoU, the promoter of JHIS and JOAF Foods, Prof Julius Oben, said: “IMPM has the mandate of the country to develop nutrition and food science research and one of our strong points at the university is research in food science nutrition and the wellbeing of people”. 

“So, this MoU will actually help better mutualisation of human resources as well as material resources to make sure that we can run faster. There's no need to duplicate research in food science and nutrition. What IMPM has been doing and what we have been doing over the years are just going to complement each other. Basically, this MOU has just formalised that working agreement between us and IMPM,” he added.

On his part, the Director General of IMPM, Prof Essame Oyono, first regrated that nutrition and food science is a field that is somewhat neglected in Cameroon and also somewhat misunderstood, whereas it is a fundamentally important science for human health, because nutrition and food play a role at every stage of human health.

“Even more so now, nutrition is becoming a medicine for certain illnesses, particularly metabolic diseases and others. So, JHIS, JAOF Foods and IMPM, which have set to work and which are, I believe the most remarkable in Cameroon regarding this science, see great value in pooling resources so they can join together to first provide much more significant results and then avoid certain things such as duplication of research,” he noted.

Scientific meeting on food processing, nutrition…

Meanwhile, the scientific meeting on food processing, nutrition and sustainable development brought together key stakeholders from government institutions, private sector and other research organisations.

It held under the theme: “The implications of Food Processing and Transformation on Nutrition, Sustainable Development, and Import Substitution in Cameroon”. 

It focused on advancing food processing, nutrition, and sustainable development in Cameroon. 

The meeting explored practical and research-driven solutions addressing issues such as nutrition and public health challenges in Cameroon; local food processing and value addition; job creation, innovation, and import substitution; and youth engagement, research development, and industry collaboration.

It should be noted that IMPM is a national public research institution mandated to conduct medical research, medicinal plant studies, pharmacology, toxicology, and public health innovation with the objective of improving the health status of Cameroonians.

On its part, JHIS is a higher education and research institution focused on nutrition, biomedical sciences, public health, and sustainable foods systems. The University emphasises applied research, postgraduate training, and interdisciplinary collaboration to address national health and development priorities.

JAOF Foods is an innovation-driven food enterprises dedicated to the development of safe, nutritious, and functional food products using locally sourced agricultural and medicinal plant resourced, with a strong emphasis on quality assurance and scientific validation.

It should be noted that JAOF Foods is located on the campus of JHIS, where it serves as a living laboratory and training platform, providing on-site, hands-on training to students in food processing, food transformation, product formulation, marketing and entrepreneurship. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3687 of Wednesday January 28, 2026