By Nformi Sonde Kinsai
The Head of the Yaounde-based Nouyadjam and Associates bilingual law firm, Barrister Jean Jacques Nouyadjam – a key proponent of sports law, has stated that the issue of ethics in general and particularly in the promotion of sports is central not only in Cameroon or Africa but at the global level.
Barrister Nouyadjam was speaking to reporters in Yaounde on July 28, 2025. This was at the start of a three-day international colloquium that saw foreign delegations from Burkina Faso, Central African Republic and DRC attending.
The event themed “International and Multi-Disciplinary Colloquium: Sports and Ethics: Cross Examinations – Issues, Problems, and Outlines of Solutions.”
Stating that the colloquium was in its 3rd edition, Nouyadjam said they are in a logic of continuity in raising awareness and training of legal actors interested in strengthening their capacities in the domain of sports law.
He said if the actors of sports movement are not informed of basic frameworks and the legislation governing the sector in which they are operating, there will be no positive evolution. “I am unequivocal that victories, sustainable development and radiance will not come by chance. It is therefore necessary to arm the actors through the training sessions which we have been organising for several years now.
“The theme on ‘sports and ethics’ is close to our hearts as it is the key to success in sports promotion. The actors must imbibe ethical values as the question of ethics does not only concern Cameroon or Africa but is rather a global issue in sports promotion.
We are satisfied with what is going on in terms of training and the presence of the foreign delegations here is testimony of the fact that we are moving forward in regards to sports diplomacy.
We are becoming a reference point not only in the field of sports practices but also in the domain of science related to sports. The foreign delegations that are present is a culmination of our vision of making Cameroon an attraction for reflection on sports law and other issues related to sports,” Nouyadjam told reporters.”
He added that at the end of the colloquium, participants will have perfect knowledge on what sports and ethics is all about, the consequences of what bad practices can do to sports promotion. There is ethics in all aspects of governance including sports and actors must be abreast for daily management of society. “Our expectation is for the lawyers to be trained as a way of guaranteeing better justice and provision of advice to stakeholders of sports movement,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Cameroon Bar CouncilPresident, Bâtonnier Mbah Eric Mbah hailed the foreign delegations, encouraged his colleagues to take the training seriously considering that the sports law domain is new in Cameroon.
He particularly recognised Barrister Nouyadjam for working hard and successfully creating a niche in the sports law domain. he added that Cameroon remains indebted to him. He told the participants that what they are doing today is investment to reap in the future as it was the case with the domains of intellectual property and arbitration.
The event was also an occasion for the Scientific Coordinator, Prof. Gaëtan Thierry Foumena who gave a general presentation of the colloquium to also revisit highlights of the past two editions. Meanwhile, the inaugural lesson of the colloquium was presented by the Head of the Department of Sociology in the University of Yaounde I.
Other presentations marked by debates bordered on broad themes such as the inseparability of sports and ethics; ethics in management and governance of sports; ethics in regulation of activities of organisations and sporting jurisdictions as well as numerous sub themes.
