If there is a title that could be given to his career it is “A life in the service of agriculture”. His name is George Njile Mbanda. He is the very first President of PROFALCAM. He is also one of its designers. He supervises the activities for the production of quality flour throughout the Cameroonian territory.
With more than 40 years of experience in the agricultural sector, George Mbanda has had a strong impact on this field and in particular on the cassava sector. Indeed, after obtaining his degree in “rural sociology and history” at the University of Yaoundé, he specialized for two years in “Development and management of agro-industry plantations”. From that moment on, he lives only for agriculture.
A man of the field, he is himself a seasoned producer of local flours. And this since the years 2000. Indeed, this year, in the locality of Ekondo Titi, in the South West region, he set up a mini-industry for the production of gari. Ten years later, in 2010, the site will expand. In addition to gari, the popular “Garri Company” now produces cassava couscous flour, cassava and plantain bread flour. And its production capacity will grow to 50 tons per month in 2017.
Dedicated to the agricultural sector since 1980, it is constantly equipped with a sure experience and a national recognition. Indeed, in addition to his mastery of the field, he has solid skills in development and management of plantations; organization and method of development and support of producers’ organizations and in training of trainers in Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS).
“Mister Cassava” (a nickname given to him for his activities in the cassava sector), is at the helm and or at the base of several organizations and associations in the agricultural field. He has been the General Secretariat of the National Platform of Professional Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Organizations of Cameroon (PLANOPAC) since 2013. His imprint within this association is large. In fact, in 2007, he was already in charge of the Secretariat of its Supervisory Committee, and this until 2013. He holds this position in addition to that of Secretary General of the regional representation (Southwest) of the body.
He is also well known as a formidable defender of producers, morals and good governance. This has earned him membership of numerous bodies such as the Comité Régional du Sud-Ouest for the selection of project beneficiaries ACEFA; the AMO; AFOP; PIDMA; PAPMAV-Q; PD-CVA steering committees. In 2016, with transport support from South West Development Authority (SOWEDA), it distributed over 500,000 certified improved cassava cuttings of varieties 8034 and 96/0326 free of charge to cassava growers in the South West and Littoral regions. The following year, the operation was to be carried out nationwide. This earned him the thanks of the government.
Still on the national level, since 2015 he has been President of Cameroon’s Plateforme Interprofession de la Chaine de Valeur Manioc (PIPCV-Manioc). On the continental level, he has been Chairman of the Plateforme des Multi-Acteurs de la Chaine de Valeur Manioc in the CEMAC region since 2015. As PCA of this sub-regional platform and trainer of trainers in Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS), he has been copied at the prestigious PRASAC Researchers and Development Actors forums. Since February 2023, he has also been Secretary of the Business Committee of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA).
Keen to share his knowledge, this Knihgt of Agriculture Merit has several publications to his credit. These include “Creation of an Inclusive Cassava Inter-Professional Platform in Cameroon for Value Chain Coordination”; “Cluster Plantation Model in Cameroon”; “Cassava Development Corporation: A Practical Implementation Mechanism for a Cassava Cluster Plantation”, to name but a few. His Cluster Plantation concept was recommended by MINEPAT and UNDP in 2021 as a model to be used for the development and intensive production of local flours in Cameroon. This was the outcome of a “Study on the mapping of business opportunities in the wheat substitutes sector in Cameroon”.
George Njile Mbanda was elected by his peers to head PROFALCAM for a four (4) year term, renewable once.