IFORD, partners seek funding for population research

The 23 Francophone African member States of the Yaounde-based Institute for Training and Population Research, IFORD, are seeking ways to increase its finances.

Meeting in Yaounde on Thursday March 5, 2015, for a dinner at the residence of the Congo-Brazzaville Ambassador to Cameroon, Her Excellency Gisèle Bouanga-Kalou, the school’s management and partners noted that the organisations financial situation was not so good.

Ambassador Bouanga-Kalou explained that partners were committed to remind their governments to fulfil the funding pledges they had made to them. It was the first time the IFORD partners’ dinner was being organised, coming soon after the 14th meeting of member States held in Yaounde on March 3, 2015, the Ambassador pointed out.

She added that the objective was to meet in a relaxed, unofficial setting to discuss the challenges of the institute among people who already knew themselves fairly well. The Congolese Ambassador, who is the current chair of IFORD partners, disclosed that there were plans to rotate the position among member countries.

On his part, Prof. Evina Akam, the Executive Director of IFORD, said the institution has since January this year embarked on results-based management, received a new organisational structure and is practising Programme Budgeting.

He expressed hope that member States would ensure the continuous smooth functioning of the institute by paying their subventions on time.

According to Prof. Oumarou Bouba, Rector of the University of Yaounde II, Soa, under which IFORD is placed, the school is doing well. He said this was attested to by the United Nations Excellence Award in Population Studies IFORD won in 2011.

As the only such institute in Francophone Africa, he added, IFORD has a bright future. Prof. Bouba disclosed that five major research areas were recently selected by the institute, lauding the high sense of commitment to duty by management and students.