The CANAL+ Group officially handed over the first cinema in the CANAL OLYMPIA network to the mother of universities on Thursday, 3 April 2025. This took place during a ceremony presided over by the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo.

To begin, the President of the CANAL OLYMPIA cinema network, Christine Pigeyre, expressed a feelingof pride for this wonderful experience with the Yaounde public since the inauguration of the facility on 14 June 2016. For his part, Jacques Du Puy, representative of the CANAL+ Group, stated that: “Our strategic intention was to give impetus, to create a level of cinema accessible to local communities to enable them to experience cinema in a theatre, as well as to have a venue dedicated to live performances and African talent."

In his speech, Professor Remy Magloire Etoua, Rector of UY1, emphasized that through this handover, the CANAL+ group and the legendary university institution he heads have written a golden page in their history. He then thanked the entire group for its commitment to actively participating in the cultural and intellectual development of UY1. Professor Etoua did not hide his hope of seeing cinema legends emerge at UY1, following in the footsteps of Sembene Ousmane, Bassek Ba Kobhio, and others.

In his address, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo commended UY1 for proudly maintaining its pioneering role. As the first higher education institution in Cameroon, both historically and chronologically, the “mother of universities” is also home to the very first of the 18 CANAL OLYMPIA cinema halls in Africa. The Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, also pointed out that since the Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences at UY1 offers a Performing Arts and Cinematographyprogramme, this cinema will help align Cameroonian filmmaking with international standards.

As a reminder, the facility handed over this day consists of a multipurpose hall with 300 comfortable seats, a 10-metre-wide screen and a protection system suitable for all types of events. Its esplanade features a stage and can accommodate thousands of spectators.

The University of Yaoundé I is actively preparing for the upcoming CRUROR-AC (Conference of Rectors of Universities in Central Africa), to be held in Bangui in 2026. This major event will bring together university leaders from across the region to discuss the challenges and prospects for higher education in Central Africa.

CRUROR-AC serves as a vital platform for strengthening academic cooperation, pooling resources, and enhancing student and faculty mobility within the subregion. The University of Yaoundé I, true to its commitment to excellence and innovation, will play a key role in the exchanges and strategic decisions that result from this initiative.

The entire university community is invited to follow this must-attend event closely, as it will open up new opportunities for collaboration and development in higher education in Central Africa.