Opening a training centre or private school in Cameroon

Updated 29 September 2026

Training OrganizationsRegulation

Cameroontraining centreMINEFOP approvalprivate schoolprivate higher educationFNE

In Cameroon, the authorisation depends on the type of establishment. A private vocational training centre must obtain prior approval (agrément) from the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (MINEFOP), valid for three years. A private school falls under the Ministry of Basic Education (MINEDUB) for nursery and primary, and the Ministry of Secondary Education (MINESEC) for secondary. A private higher education institution falls under the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP).

Which regime for which project

Project	Ministry	Reference text	Required act
Private vocational training or apprenticeship centre	MINEFOP	Law No. 2018/010 of 11 July 2018; Decree No. 2020/2592/PM of 19 June 2020	Prior approval for 3 years
Private nursery or primary school	MINEDUB	Law No. 2004/022 of 22 July 2004	Creation file, then opening file
Private general, technical or teacher-training secondary establishment	MINESEC	Law No. 2004/022 of 22 July 2004	Creation file, then opening file
Private higher education institution (institution privée d'enseignement supérieur, IPES)	MINESUP	Law No. 2023/007 of 25 July 2023	Opening authorisation, then approval, then accreditation (homologation)

The 2018 law covers all post-basic-education training: initial training, continuing training and apprenticeship. A private vocational information and guidance structure must also be approved by MINEFOP.

Private vocational training centre: MINEFOP approval

A private vocational training structure may operate only after approval by the minister (2018 law, Article 14). The decree of 19 June 2020 specifies that:

approval is required before opening, is valid for three years, renewable, and cannot be assigned or transferred;
an extension of the centre follows the same conditions as the initial approval;
the promoter may be a natural or legal person, an international organization or a foreign body, the latter after the opinion of the minister in charge of external relations;
the promoter must enjoy civic rights and must not have been convicted of a crime or offence contrary to probity and good morals.

The centre has at least an establishment board, a centre manager, an educational manager and an accounting manager. Its name begins with "Centre de formation professionnelle", "Institut de formation professionnelle" or "Centre d'apprentissage", followed by the number and date of the approval. Accident insurance covers trainers, learners and staff.

Managers are professionals in administration and training engineering. Trainers prove the required level and, where applicable, hold a teaching authorisation (habilitation à former) that the centre requests from the minister.

The list of documents and the award procedure are set by ministerial order (arrêté) (decree, Article 29). Ask MINEFOP for the version in force before preparing the file. Opening without approval exposes the promoter to closure and criminal penalties.

Private school: MINEDUB or MINESEC

The law of 22 July 2004 sets a principle of freedom, subject to the school map (carte scolaire), hygiene and planning rules and the standards of the education system. The minister has 60 days to object to the creation or opening, from the transmission of the declaration. Each founder must join one of the private education organizations (Catholic, Protestant, Islamic or secular). Part-time teachers (vacataires) may not exceed 40% of teaching staff.

The procedure involves two files:

creation: the promoter's diploma (at least the baccalauréat for nursery and primary, at least a licence for secondary and teacher training according to MINEDUB), criminal record, land title certificate, letter of recommendation from an administrative or traditional authority, technical studies of the buildings;
opening: building permit, certificate of membership of a private education organization, staff list with diplomas and contracts, a bank account separate from the founder's, funds covering at least three months of salaries.

At MINEDUB, the creation file is filed with the education secretariat, the opening file with the regional delegation. A circular sets minimum areas, for example 1,000 m² for a nursery school and 2,000 m² for a primary school, French-speaking or English-speaking. At MINESEC, the land for a general secondary establishment is at least 2,500 m².

Private higher education: MINESUP

Since the law of 25 July 2023, an IPES is a legal person governed by private law, separate from its promoter. It enters at the third category, with an opening authorisation (autorisation d'ouverture) from the minister for specific programmes. It can then obtain approval (centre universitaire privé), then accreditation (université privée), without skipping a category. Teachers hold the same qualifications as in the public sector. The head of the institution and the head of academic affairs are approved.

The National Commission for Private Higher Education (Commission nationale de l'enseignement supérieur privé, CNESP) examines applications for creation, opening, approval and extension. Several provisions of the 2023 law refer to implementing texts: check with MINESUP which ones are in force.

Setting up the legal entity

The business creation formalities centres (centres de formalités de création d'entreprises, CFCE) combine in a single filing the registration with the trade and personal property credit register (RCCM), tax registration and affiliation to the National Social Insurance Fund (CNPS). For an IPES, MINESUP has published a manual presenting the possible forms: SARL, SAS, cooperative, civil company or association.

Funding continuing training

Employers, except where exempt, pay a contribution of 1% of salaries to the National Employment Fund (Fonds national de l'emploi, FNE). The FNE trains job seekers with vocational training centres, consultancies and companies. It also offers employers in-service training, funded in part or in full. The texts consulted provide no automatic access for a private centre.

The State may grant training scholarships, paid to the promoter of the private centre where the learner is enrolled. Subsidies and tax incentives require, among other things, five years of existence and the employment of at least 80% of learners trained over three years (2020 decree, Article 38).

Diplomas and recognition

Only the State awards diplomas. End-of-training vocational assessments are organized or supervised by MINEFOP. Its qualifications include the professional qualification certificate (certificat de qualification professionnelle, CQP) and the professional qualification diploma (diplôme de qualification professionnelle, DQP). Pupils at private schools sit the official examinations. For national diplomas, a second- or third-category IPES is placed under the academic supervision (tutelle académique) of a public higher education institution or a first-category private university, through an academic supervision agreement.

The steps

Choose the regime: MINEFOP, MINEDUB, MINESEC or MINESUP.
Define the offer: specialities, levels, numbers.
Set up the legal entity at the CFCE.
Secure premises and recruit a qualified director and trainers.
File the approval, creation or opening authorisation application, then, for a school, the opening file.
Open, displaying the approval number, and prepare candidates for State examinations.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need approval to open a training centre in Cameroon? Yes. Any private vocational training structure must be approved by MINEFOP before operating. Approval is valid for three years and may be withdrawn.

Can a private centre award its own diplomas? No. It prepares its learners for assessments organized or supervised by MINEFOP, and the State awards the diploma.

Can a foreigner open a school or a centre? The 2004 law opens private education to persons of Cameroonian or foreign nationality, under conditions set by regulation. For vocational training, a foreign body must obtain approval, after the opinion of the minister in charge of external relations.

How long does the review take? For a school, the minister has 60 days to object. No timeframe is set in the texts consulted for MINEFOP approval or MINESUP authorisation: check with the ministry.

Key takeaways

Vocational training centre: prior MINEFOP approval, three years, renewable.
School: MINEDUB or MINESEC, creation file then opening file, membership of a private education organization.
Higher education: legal person, MINESUP opening authorisation, then approval and accreditation.
Diplomas are awarded by the State.
Confirm the list of documents with the competent ministry before filing.

Sources

Mentivis supports the structuring of training organizations and schools: design of the offer, business model, regulatory file, launch. See training organization set-up · See higher education support

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