Dr Gaston Ngochembo

Job: Lecturer in Project management and Entrepreneurship

Faculty: Business and Law

School/department: School of Leadership, Management and Marketing

Address: De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH

T: N/A

E: gaston.ngochembo@dmu.ac.uk

 

Personal profile

Dr. Gaston Ngochembo is a highly experienced academic and practitioner with over 15 years in project management and entrepreneurship. He recently De Montfort University and before that he has worked for the University of Bamenda (UBa), the Catholic University of Cameroon where he was Acting Head of the Agricultural Economics Department other universities. Apart from academic work, he has been a consultant for several international organizations and government agencies including Agriterra, Oxfam Novib, MDF Global and the UNDP, Ministry of small and medium size enterprise in Cameroon; advising and training entrepreneurs across Africa and Europe. He is the co-founder of AgriDynamic and E-Hub Incubation enterprises that focuses on smart agro-enterprise development. He has many publications and his research focuses on project management, entrepreneurial leadership, and agricultural value chains, with a particular interest in large scale entrepreneurship development projects in emerging areas. 

Publications and outputs

1. Ngochembo, G. G., Balgah, R. A., Fonteh, M. F. (2024). Assessment of Ngoketunjia rice value chain actors’ performance in Cameroon. Journal of Agribusiness and Rural Development 71(1), 81–92.
2. Ngochembo G. G., & Mbouh V. B., (2024). Impact of Mega-Agricultural Projects, Searching the Silver Lining in Cameroon. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Project Management, 9(1), 50 – 71.
3. Balgah R. A., Ngochembo G G., & Fonteh M. F. (2024). NGO-driven agricultural technology transfer and livelihood outcomes in Cameroon. Pp 333-340. In Balgah, R. A., & Vubo, E. Y. (Eds.). (2024). The State, Non-State Organizations and Livelihood Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
4. Ngochembo G. G., Ful, H. K, & Mbouh V. B., (2023). Significance of Transformational Leadership on Project Portfolio Success within the Micro Financial Sector in Cameroon. Finance & Economics Review 5(2), 36-50. https://doi.org/10.38157/fer.v5i2.595.
5. Ngochembo G. G., & Mbouh V. B. (2023) Roles of project steering committees in large agricultural projects in Cameroon. International Journal of Scientific Research and Management 11(10), 441-460.
6. Ngochembo G. G., & Lufung N. L. (2023). The Politics in Aspirations and transformation of the Agricultural Sector through Megaprojects in Cameroon. Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International, 24(5), 181–196.
7. Ngochembo, G. G., Balgah, R. A., & Fonteh, M. F. (2022). The effects of Adopting Technological Innovations on Rice Value Chain Actors in Cameroon. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, 40(5), 103-114.
8. Ngochembo, G. G., Balgah, R. A., & Fonteh, M. F. (2022). Determinants for adopting agricultural innovations by rice farmers in the North-West Region of Cameroon. International Journal of Agricultural Extension, 10(2), 325-334.
9. Ngochembo G. G., & Balgah R. A. (2021). Investment Policies for Agribusiness Development in Cameroon: A Review. Univ. Buea j. appl. soc. sci. 14 (2) 59 -88

Research interests/expertise

Dr. Gaston Ngochembo’s research interests are centered around the intersection of project management, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development, with a particular focus on innovative leadership and agricultural value chains. He is particularly interested in how entrepreneurship can drive innovation and ethical leadership within the context of global business practices and large-scale entrepreneurship development projects, especially in emerging markets.

Areas of teaching

  • Entrepreneurship
  • Leadership
  • Project management

Qualifications

  • PhD in Agribusiness Project Management: The Bamenda University Cameroon
  • Advance Master in International Development: Radboud Catholic University Nijmegen; The Netherlands
  • Msc. in Agricultural Production Chain Management: Van Hall Larenstein; The Netherlands, part of the Wageningen University
  • Bsc. in Integrated Communication Management: University of Applied Science Hogeschool Utrecht; The Netherlands
  • HND Animal Science: National Veterinary School Jakiri Cameroon

Courses taught

Entrepreneurship and ethical leadership

Honours and awards

  • Second prize of the European African Business Competition 2012 organized by Oxfam. The Netherlands
  • Innovative teacher of the Year 2023 (Thiobeems Polytechnic Institute)

Projects

  • Orange Sparks BV (March-Mid May 2024)
  • Coordinate hackathon training program for young entrepreneurs in Mali Bamako. Selection of participants, organized the hackathon training program, coach agri-technologies entrepreneurs in developing MVB.
  • Ministry of small and medium size enterprise Cameroon (MINPMEESA) in collaboration with United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (June 2016 to June 2017)
  • Entrepreneurial capacity building for competitiveness improvement of 6 local entrepreneurs by conducting the situational analysis and formulation of their bankable business plans.
  • Monitor the implementation of business plans and reporting progress to the partners. 

Conference attendance

  • DAAD conference and training workshop and conference (DEC. 14th to 16th 2023)
  • Key note speaker on challenges and opportunities of DAAD alumni returning to Cameroon with a spotlight on agricultural value chains and large-scale agricultural projects in Cameroon. 

Consultancy work

  • Anthill Smart Vacation Training, Research and Empowerment Center: Research, and design of training program on smart agro-enterprise development and management, reviewed training course content and evaluate trainers
  • MDF Global: Reviewed and provided feedback on the feasibility of 75 business plans of entrepreneurs in Ethiopian within the framework of UNDP project.