The Evangelical College of Libamba near Makak was established in 1945 during the expansion of the Presbyterian Church in the Bassa region of Cameroon.
History Initially named the Institute of Evangelical Missions of Libamba, it later became the Evangelical College of Libamba. The college was created to meet the need, after World War I, to educate Cameroonians up to the baccalaureate level. An elite group of American professors, such as David Gelzer, and European professors were assigned to the school.
The college is located midway along the railway line between the stations of Makak (10 km) and Minka (2 km).
Construction of the institution The construction of the institution and its boarding school was funded by a grant of 15 million CFA francs from the French colonial administration. The land was provided by the local populations to the Société des missions évangéliques de Paris, which, along with the Presbyterian Church, divided the space equally for the construction of the church and the college and its boarding school.
First Cameroonian Elite The inter-missionary college with a full cycle has long been one of the top secondary schools in Cameroon. The first batch of graduatesMartin Balepa in Cameroon came from this college, although some completed their education at Lycée Leclerc in Yaoundé. The play Trois prétendants...un mari, a classic of Cameroonian literature, was written by Guillaume Oyônô Mbia while he was at the Evangelical College of Libamba.
Notable alumni and associated personalities Guillaume Oyônô Mbia, writer, author of Trois prétendants...un mari which he wrote at the Evangelical College of Libamba
List of directors and enrollment School Year Director Nationality Enrollment Boarders 1946-1960 Robert Pierce American 200-400 120–150 1960-1975 André Ngwet Cameroonian 300-700 300–400 1975-1990 Pierre Em Njok Cameroonian 600-1000 400–600 1990-1994 Noé Nlend Cameroonian 800-2000 500–700 1994-2001 Collegiate Direction - - - 2001-2013 Thomas Noumba Cameroonian - - 2013-... Laurent Nyamb Cameroonian - -
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