University of Ngaoundéré
Set on the shores of Lake Dang, just outside Ngaoundéré, the University of Ngaoundéré is the oldest state university in Cameroon's Greater North. It grew out of a university centre opened in 1982 and, in 2026, has ten institutions and more than 25,000 students according to its official website. It is best known for its schools of agro-industrial engineering, veterinary medicine and technology. It also served as the cradle of the universities of Garoua and Bertoua, several of whose schools began as its annexes.
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At a glance
- City and campuses
- Ngaoundéré (main Dang campus, Adamawa Region); annex campus in Meiganga (School of Geology and Mining Engineering)
- Founded
- University centre opened in 1982; turned into a university by Decree No. 92/074 of 13 April 1992, organised by Decree No. 93/028 of 19 January 1993
- Status
- State university under the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP); bilingual
- Rector
- Prof. Mamoudou Abdoulmoumini, appointed by Decree No. 2023/384 of 30 August 2023 (in office in 2026 according to the official website)
- Students
- More than 25,000 (official website, updated September 2026); more than 650 teaching staff
- Official website
- www.univ-ndere.cm
History: from university centre to university
According to the timeline published by the university, President Ahmadou Ahidjo announced in July 1976 the creation of four specialised university centres, in Buea, Douala, Dschang and Ngaoundéré. The Ngaoundéré University Centre (CUN) admitted its first students in 1982 and was formally inaugurated in June 1986 by Paul Biya, who also handed diplomas to its first graduates.
The 1992-1993 university reform turned the centre into a university: the decree of 13 April 1992 created it, and the decrees of 19 January 1993 organised it, with five faculties and five professional schools on paper. They did not all open at once: four faculties and the IUT started in 1993, ENSAI in 1995, the veterinary school in 2007, the geology school in Meiganga in 2011, and the chemical engineering school and the Faculty of Education in 2017.
The university also spread beyond Adamawa: an annex of the Faculty of Law and Political Science opened in Garoua in 2016, followed in 2018 by a Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Garoua and a Higher Teacher Training College in Bertoua. When the universities of Garoua and Bertoua were created in January 2022, these institutions were transferred to them.
Faculties and professional schools
| Institution | Acronym | Specialisms | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| National School of Agro-Industrial Sciences (opened 1995) | ENSAI | Process engineering, food science and nutrition, applied chemistry, electrical and energy engineering, mechanical engineering, maths and computing | Entrance exam (engineering degree, professional master's) |
| University Institute of Technology (1993) | IUT | Food engineering and quality control; chemical, electrical, energy, computer and mechanical engineering | Entrance exam (DUT, BTS, professional bachelor's) |
| School of Veterinary Science and Medicine (2007) | ESMV | Doctors of veterinary medicine, animal production engineers; 10 departments | Entrance exam (held on 9 October 2026 for 2026-2027) |
| School of Geology and Mining Engineering (2011, Meiganga) | EGEM | Mining and geology, petroleum engineering, mineral processing and environment, geological mapping and geomatics | Professional school; procedure not detailed on the website |
| School of Chemical Engineering and Mineral Industries (2017) | EGCIM | Chemical engineering, mineral engineering | Entrance exam |
| Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences | FALSH | 13 departments, including Arabic, African languages (Fulfulde certificate), tourism, heritage, communication, history, geography | Enrolment with the baccalauréat or GCE A Level |
| Faculty of Science | FS | Chemistry, physics, maths and computing, biomedical sciences, earth sciences, renewable energy, organic agriculture | Baccalauréat or GCE A Level; entrance exam for biomedical programmes (140 places in 2024-2025) |
| Faculty of Economics and Management | FSEG | Accounting and finance, monetary and banking economics, management, marketing and sales | Enrolment with the baccalauréat or GCE A Level |
| Faculty of Law and Political Science | FSJP | Private law, public law, English law (LL.B), political science | Enrolment with the baccalauréat or GCE A Level; capacité en droit |
| Faculty of Education (2017) | FSE | Education management, subject teaching methods, guidance and counselling, physical education, assessment | Enrolment with the baccalauréat or GCE A Level |
Strengths
- ENSAI, the agro-industrial engineering school: eleven laboratories, working on fruit drying, flours and starches, water treatment, and sugar and oil processing, among other things.
- ESMV, which trains doctors of veterinary medicine and animal production engineers; its organisation was redefined by Decree No. 2023/410 of 7 September 2023.
- A focus on the North and neighbouring countries: an Arabic department (up to PhD), a Fulfulde certificate, mining in Meiganga, and students from Chad and the Central African Republic in particular.
- 181 programmes from bachelor's to PhD listed on the website in 2026, under the LMD system (two semesters from October to July).
Student life and campus
The Dang campus houses the administration, faculties and schools, the halls of residence, the refectory, the health centre and a grass football pitch. The official website reports about 25,000 students on this campus, against halls of four buildings with nearly 500 rooms: most students therefore rent in town.
| Service | Price | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Halls of residence | 10,000 CFA francs a month (10,000 deposit), paid quarterly | 4 buildings, nearly 500 rooms |
| Block 36 (PhD students) | 15,000 CFA francs a month | 36 rooms |
| University refectory | 100 CFA francs per meal ticket (11.45am-2pm) | 800 seats, about 500 meals a day |
Admission
Faculties admit holders of the baccalauréat or GCE A Level to bachelor's programmes via online pre-registration (un-registration.univ-ndere.cm). The professional schools recruit by entrance exam: the university's archives list exams for ENSAI (engineering degree, professional master's), the IUT (DUT, BTS, professional bachelor's), ESMV and EGCIM. Tuition shown on programme pages starts at 50,000 CFA francs a year; for a full breakdown, see the page on the cost of higher education.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the University of Ngaoundéré?
Its main campus is at Dang, on the lake of the same name near Ngaoundéré, in the Adamawa Region. The School of Geology and Mining Engineering is in Meiganga.
What are the University of Ngaoundéré's professional schools?
There are five: ENSAI (agro-industrial sciences), the IUT, ESMV (veterinary medicine), EGEM (geology and mining, in Meiganga) and EGCIM (chemical engineering and mineral industries).
When was the University of Ngaoundéré founded?
The Ngaoundéré University Centre opened in 1982. It became a university by the decree of 13 April 1992, and the university was organised by Decree No. 93/028 of 19 January 1993.
Who is the rector of the University of Ngaoundéré?
Prof. Mamoudou Abdoulmoumini, a veterinary parasitologist appointed on 30 August 2023. He previously headed the School of Veterinary Science and Medicine.
How much is a room in the Ngaoundéré halls of residence?
According to the official website, 10,000 CFA francs a month, paid quarterly, with a one-month deposit. Rooms in the block reserved for PhD students cost 15,000.
How do you get into ENSAI Ngaoundéré?
Through an entrance exam held each year for the engineering degree and the professional master's; notices are published on the university and MINESUP websites.
Handle with care
Sources date the university's founding differently: the official website cites Decree No. 93/028 of 19 January 1993, but also posts a 'founding decree No. 92-074', and the press (Camer.be, 2018) dates the creation to 13 April 1992 and the organisation to 19 January 1993. Student numbers also vary: about 30,000 in 2016-2017 according to Wikipedia, 'more than 25,000' according to the website in 2026. Entry procedures for EGEM are not detailed online.