Capacity Building

UDs host national training workshop

Dschang-UDs/SIC-16/01/18.The campus of UDs today began hosting the national training workshop on Geo data digitization and mapping development minerals. Speaking at the launching ceremony at the international House of the University in Campus A, the Dean of the Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences Prof DIEUDONNE Bitom representing the Vice Chancellor, expressed gratitude to the organizers as per the choice of UDs to host the training workshop, he went on to express the wish that the work shop should serve as a catalyst of positive change in the mapping of development minerals, and called on the Head of the Department of Forestry of UDs to ensure a smooth running of this important workshop. Prof Bitom DIEUDONNE then reassured the partners of the constant availability of UDs in favor of the sustainable management of natural resources. Also speaking at launching ceremony were the African Minerals and Geosciences Center representative and the ACP EU project leader. Opening the workshop, the West Regional Delegate for the Ministry of Mine Industry and Technological Development, elaborated on the fact that the training workshop constitutes an important phase of the implementation of the ACP EU programs in favor of development minerals in the re-enforcement capacity of actors of the sector. He seized the opportunity to laud Mr Moussa Charlotte, ACP EU project leader for his commitment in the implementation of the activities of the program,  Prof TCHAMBA Martin, Head of Department of Forestry of FASA for efforts put in for reception and logistics, and most especially the trainers from the African Minerals and Geosciences center namely: MESFIN WUBESHET, KAMIINA CHOROROKA, and NAKUNDUKIZE CHARLES. The West Regional delegate of MINMINDT went on to call on participants to be steady, attentive and perspicacious during the training workshop in order to be equipped with improved knowledge to create exploitable database for the valorization of development minerals. He then declared the training workshop open.

Worthy of note is the fact that the training workshop seeks to:

–  Familiarize trainees with mapping, digitization and reserve estimation software

– Improve Geo-data mapping, digitization, database management and field mapping skills

– Catalyze the collection of geological data and the development or enhancement of geological inventories of development minerals

– Improve the public availability of geological data for investors in the development minerals sector

– Encourage South to South knowledge exchange and the replication of the training through the training of trainers style approach and

– Support the implementation of the acquired skills through return to work plans for each participating country that will aim to develop or enhance a country level Geo data inventory.

The training workshop is organized by the ACP EU, UNDP in partnership with the African Minerals Geosciences center, the Ministry of mines, industry and technological development: Direction of geological survey, IRGM, the University of DSCHANG, the Cameroon chamber of Commerce, industry and Mines

The training workshop will run for 12 days (15th -26^th January 2018) and brings together 32 participants from the 10 regions of the country. It is a right project in the right direction, a pivot to ensure sustainable development of mineral management in the Country and Africa/