Yaounde International Business School: Final year undergraduates dazzle juries with business plans.

The programme was coordinated by the President of YIBS, Acho Godfred Taku, alongside lecturers and other members of the institution’s teaching and management staff. 

The Dean of YIBS’ School of Management, Weli Florence Adih, and the Coordinator of Business Plans, Dr Atingwa Nkeng, and other officials said it is a requirement for the students to obtain bachelor’s degrees 

YIBS management noted that the exercise will facilitate the learner’s smooth transition to become successful job creators after graduation.

In groups, the students defended business plans across the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. Most of the business plans touch on industries such as agriculture, fish farming, technology and engineering.

The learners updated the audience on project target audience, clean problem-solving potentials and the realistic financial data of their business plans.

This, authorities said, is in line with the guidelines of the School which prioritizes the financial feasibility, operationalisation, risk management and intentional positioning of the potential of business plans.

Enter marveling group work

One of the groups defended a business plan named MboaFix, a software application-based business.  The learners said the project aims to directly link users to qualified, reliable and trusted home repair technicians in real time. They said it is similar to the services rendered by drivers linked to ride-hailing companies.

The group said the business which will be originally launched in Yaounde and Douala. Speakers for the group said MboaFix will solve the increasing challenges that users face to access household maintenance service providers. 

The team further revealed that technicians who register and work with the company will be directly paid through the application immediately after customers pay for their services through the digital platform.

On funding, they explained that MboaFix will get commissions from the payments customers make. Another group presented a business plan called Tara Foods. The team described the business as a line of health-focused, ginger-based products that covers seasonings, teas, and concentrated extracts.

One of the members of the group, Tchouala II Goldsmith, told reporters that the tea products were made from natural and highly nutritious blend produced with natural ginger, lemongrass, and moringa and packaged in familiar tea bags similar to Lipton.

“A major issue in the local Cameroonian market is that many existing products use synthetic preservatives like formalin, which can be toxic. In contrast, Tara Foods uses 100% natural ingredients with zero artificial additives,” the student said.

When questioned on the feasibility of the business plan, Tchouala II said the project will be successful if they succeed in going through with the drafted operationalisation plan.

The students said the group is seeking a sum of 12 million FCFA in capital to launch the business. They said the funds will place them in a strong position to produce and reach out to consumers.

Another group of students defended a business plan they named MixMunch. They described the business as a line specialised Cameroon-made dehydrated food products designed for convenient home cooking.

The learners said they developed the product to address the time constraints faced by busy young people and working parents who often struggle to source individual spices and raw ingredients for traditional African meals. 

“MixMunch combines all the necessary spices into a single pack, allowing users to prepare a high-quality, authentic African dish in just 20 minutes,” a member of the team, Mbifi Emmanuel, told reporters.

Mbifi noted that: “Our products are made from 100% natural ingredients with no added chemical preservatives. Recognising that many consumers have health conditions that require them to avoid artificial additives like seasoning cubes”.

The same member of the group said “…we keep our blends entirely natural. Consumers can choose to add their own seasonings according to their taste and dietary needs”.

The students said the business will facilitate cooking and provide much-needed solution to the problems faced by farmers especially those dealing with perishables.

“We also offer a dehydrated stew base made from dried tomatoes. This addresses the high perishability of fresh tomatoes in Cameroon by extending shelf life to between six and 12 months, adding value to local agriculture before export,” Mbifi told The Guardian Post. 

Temango Ajara and her group defended a business plan called CAMSEK Group SARL. The learners described the business as a venture that combines direct supply with streamlined supply-line distribution. They said it focuses on addressing issues like hygiene and packaging in the traditional meat market.

Temango said the company will address the needs of consumers in Cameroonian markets who increasingly demand meat that is hygienically processed, securely handled, well-preserved, and conveniently delivered.

“Our operations focus on quality, hygiene, reliability, and customer satisfaction. The project is highly feasible,” Temango stated, adding that: “Our financial projections show that the business will achieve profitability in its first year with revenue continuously growing through year five. This steady financial growth demonstrates both the viability and profitability of the business”.

Authorities impressed 

YIBS’ Coordinator of Business Plans, Dr Atingwa Nkeng, said the teaching staff and leadership of the institution was impressed by the business plans.

Dr Nkeng added that the versatility of the school was once more strongly demonstrated by the impressive number of sectors that the students defended business plans on.

He said the School was particularly satisfied with the high ratio of leaners who defended business plans in the field of agriculture and related domains.

Dr Nkeng said the plans indicate a historical shift in mindset among the learners who are purposefully groomed at YIBS to identify societal problems, recognise commercial opportunities and build products or services to solve them.

“There has been a significant mindset shift among young Cameroonians, particularly towards agriculture. Historically, university students rarely considered farming. Today, we see students pitching sophisticated ventures in fish farming and rice cultivation. Seeing young people eager to build agricultural enterprises is a major step forward,” Dr Nkeng said.

The Coordinator of Business Plans revealed that the move to oblige students to defend business plans falls in line with the institution’s years-old model.

He said YIBS is an institution that remains strongly dedicated to preparing professionals who can stand on their own feet after school.

Dr Nkeng stated that the models also aligns with the guideline adopted by the Ministry of Higher Education.

“Not every graduate will find employment. By transforming our students into job creators rather than job seekers, we ensure they become productive and self-reliant citizens,” he said.

According to Dr Nkeng, following the defense session, the business plans t will be placed at the institution’s incubation center for further evaluation. 

He said the school regularly invites investors, venture capitalists, and business leaders to review such projects for implementation and proper follow up.

“Running a business requires more than capital, it requires strong ideas. Our incubation center serves as a nursery that bridges academic theory with practical business execution,” Dr Nkeng stated, adding that: “Even if students choose not to launch their enterprise immediately, investors frequently buy promising business plans”. 

One of YIBS’ biggest legacy schemes

The Dean of the School of Management, Weli Florence Adih, described the defense exercise as one of the most important components in the institution’s proven commitment to building a Cameroon that is economically viable and led by an entrepreneurship-driven young generation.

She said the session was the fifth business plan defense session that the school was organising as an institution that does not only train students who identify real-world problems in society, develop viable business ideas, and create practical solutions but also pump in resources in further supporting and investing in their projects to help bring them to fruition in the future.

“While classroom teaching provides the theoretical foundation, business plan presentations allow students to translate that knowledge into practice. Our objective is to turn them into job creators. As a business school, our ultimate goal is for students to acquire the skills needed to employ themselves rather than look for employment after graduation,” Weli Adih said.

“The school has supported numerous initiatives. We have invested in student-led ventures spanning apiculture, fish farming, mushroom cultivation, and recycling. We operate an incubation center where selected business ideas are mentored, developed, and brought to execution,” she further added.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3896 of Tuesday September 01, 2026