The African Union has crowned Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education, for her unwavering commitment to promoting girls’ education in Cameroon. The award specifically recognises her leadership in the successful launch of the #AfricaEducatesHer campaign within the country.
The prize was formally presented to Professor Nalova Lyonga on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at the Distance Learning Centre in Yaoundé, by two envoys from the African Union’s International Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (CIEFFA).
In her acceptance remarks, Professor Lyonga reaffirmed her strong dedication to advancing education for girls and expressed deep gratitude to Cameroon’s First Lady, Madam Chantal Biya, for her patronage of the campaign’s launch. As UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, the First Lady supported the initiative during the 25th Edition of the Secondary School Games held in Abong-Mbang/Dimako in the East Region.
Still within the framework of promoting educational excellence, Professor Nalova Lyonga also commended Mr. Mbono Alain Elisé, Principal of Government Secondary School, Mikila in the Adamawa Region. He was recognised for successfully implementing ministerial guidelines on the digitalisation of teaching and learning, which led his school to a 100% success rate in the 2025 BEPC examination session.
Mr. Elisé received a Letter of Congratulations, an Attestation of Excellence, and cash prizes in recognition of his achievement.
Professor Nalova Lyonga concluded by encouraging school principals nationwide to follow this example, emphasizing that from now on, exceptional performance in official examinations will be a key criterion for the promotion of school officials.