More Than a Year After GraduationMore than a year after graduating from the National School of Local Administration, NASLA, members of the institution’s pioneer batch say they are still waiting for opportunities to serve in Cameroon’s regional and local authorities.
The first batch graduated in Buea on May 27, 2025, after undergoing specialised training intended to equip them with the skills needed to support local governance and the country’s decentralisation process.But one year on, many of the graduates say they have been unable to secure positions within councils and regional authorities.
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, one member of the pioneer batch described the situation as increasingly depressing, particularly because many of them believe they have acquired the specific expertise needed to contribute to decentralisation.According to the graduate, the problem goes beyond formal recruitment.
Even attempts by some graduates to offer their services as volunteers have reportedly encountered difficulties, with some local authorities unable or unwilling to provide volunteer placements.
The graduates are therefore appealing to the government and other stakeholders in the decentralisation process to create mechanisms that can facilitate their integration into regional and local authorities.
‘We are not asking anyone to lose their job’
The graduates insist that their appeal should not be interpreted as a demand for the removal of people currently working in councils.They say their request is that NASLA-trained professionals should be given priority when vacancies arise, given the specialised nature of their training.The graduates argue that NASLA is the country’s specialised institution for training professionals in local administration and that its graduates should therefore have a meaningful place in the staffing of regional and local authorities.They also point to the autonomy enjoyed by councils in managing their personnel as one of the challenges.
Under Cameroon’s decentralisation framework, regional and local authorities have powers to recruit and manage their staff in accordance with laws and regulations.The graduates believe this is where the supervisory role of the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development becomes important.
They are calling for regulatory instruments or directives that can guide recruitment practices, ensuring that professionally trained local-administration specialists are considered when councils and regional authorities have vacancies.
Concerns over recruitment practices
Some of the graduates also allege that recruitment in certain councils can be influenced by political considerations and promises made during electoral campaigns.They argue that this could disadvantage professionals who have undergone specialised training for local administration.These allegations have not been independently established, and no specific council or mayor is accused in this publication of violating recruitment laws.The graduates, however, believe recruitment based primarily on political affiliations rather than professional qualifications could undermine the objectives of decentralisation.At the same time, they acknowledge councils and mayors who have already provided opportunities to some NASLA graduates, either through employment or volunteer placements.
Their position, they say, is therefore not an attack on mayors or existing council staff, but an appeal for a more structured approach to recruitment.
A question of public investment
The graduates also question the value of the State’s investment in training professionals who are subsequently unable to enter the institutions for which they were trained.They argue that public resources committed to decentralisation can only produce the expected results if regional and local authorities have appropriately trained personnel capable of managing those resources and implementing decentralisation programmes.
Their concern could become even more significant as NASLA prepares to graduate its second batch in December 2026, potentially increasing the number of young professionals trained specifically for local administration but still seeking opportunities to enter the sector.The graduates fear that without a clear recruitment framework, Cameroon could find itself with a growing pool of specialised young professionals unable to contribute fully to the decentralisation process.
A call to government
The graduates are appealing to the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development, mayors, regional council authorities and other stakeholders to look into their situation.They are also calling on the government to establish clearer recruitment mechanisms that would allow NASLA-trained professionals to compete for available positions based on their specialised qualifications.
Their appeal extends to the highest levels of government, particularly given the emphasis placed on youth and women’s participation in the country’s development agenda.They want their specialised training to be recognised when regional and local authorities recruit new personnel.More than a year after their graduation, they say they are ready to work.The question now is whether Cameroon’s decentralisation system is ready to make use of the human resources it has spent years and significant public resources training.
