Beyond memorising regulations
Rules matter, but learners must understand why they exist and how to apply them to the work in front of them.
ABOUT SQMI
Safer workplaces and stronger careers, since 2010.
The Safety and Quality Management Institute was founded in Douala in 2010 to help people and organisations in Cameroon and across Africa turn safety and quality knowledge into safer, stronger workplace practice.
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Learning Partner No. 932
Your NEBOSH Gold Learning Partner
SQMI is a NEBOSH Gold Learning Partner and a leading provider of NEBOSH training for learners and employers in Cameroon, the CEMAC region and West Africa. Our institute is based in Douala.
Discuss your NEBOSH trainingStudy NEBOSH qualifications with SQMI, Gold Learning Partner No. 932. Speak to admissions about your learning goals and enrolment options.
WHY SQMI WAS BORN
A response to a real gap.
Workplaces in Cameroon and Central Africa needed safety and quality professionals who could do more than recite regulations. They needed people who could identify hazards, lead teams, influence management and keep workers safe on the ground.
Since 2010, that purpose has not changed. What has grown is our reach, our recognition, and the number of professionals who carry SQMI training into construction sites, port terminals, factories, energy installations and offices across the region.
MEET THE FOUNDER
Eric Votmia Fomantum
Founder and Director, Safety and Quality Management Institute (SQMI)
When Eric Votmia Fomantum founded SQMI in Douala in 2010, he set out to solve a problem he had seen across Cameroon’s workplaces: a shortage of safety professionals who could turn international standards into real protection for workers. Too many people were being injured in jobs that could have been made safe, and too many capable young Africans lacked access to the qualifications that would let them build careers in health and safety.
Today, SQMI is a NEBOSH Gold Learning Partner and a recognised name in safety and quality training across the CEMAC region, a result that reflects Eric’s vision, persistence and commitment to standards.
A professional built on standards
Eric brings together business leadership and technical expertise. He holds an MBA, giving him a strong grasp of how organisations are run and how safety supports performance and profitability. In occupational health and safety, he holds leading NEBOSH qualifications, including the NEBOSH International Diploma, the International General Certificate (IGC) and the International Technical Certificate in Oil and Gas Operational Safety.
He also serves as a NEBOSH Assessor, which gives him practical insight into the standards NEBOSH expects learners to meet. SQMI learners benefit from being taught by someone familiar with what assessors and employers look for.
Beyond the classroom
Eric is also a consultant in maritime and port operations and works with port authorities, industrial companies and public institutions on safety, quality and operational performance. That field experience shapes SQMI’s training, so courses are grounded in real hazards, real workplaces and real African conditions.
A vision for African talent
For Eric, safety training is about more than compliance. It is about people. His goal is to help every SQMI learner develop the skills, confidence and credentials to pursue employment, grow professionally and compete internationally, while making African workplaces safer for everyone.
“Every qualified safety professional we train protects hundreds of workers. That is the impact we work for every day.”
Eric Votmia Fomantum, Founder and Director
Founder profile as provided by SQMI.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Milestones on the way.
- 2010
SQMI founded in Douala, Cameroon
Established to close the gap between knowing safety rules and practising safety at work.
- 2012
NEBOSH accreditation
Accreditation from NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health, UK) allowed SQMI to offer internationally recognised qualifications to learners in Cameroon without travelling abroad.
- 2020
NEBOSH Gold Learning Partner
NEBOSH named SQMI a Gold Learning Partner, a status recognising consistent standards in teaching quality, learner support and exam results.
- Today
A training partner across the region
Working with professionals and organisations across Cameroon and Central Africa.
Recognition details are as stated by SQMI. Confirm current NEBOSH partner status directly with NEBOSH before registration.
GUIDING PRINCIPLE
Knowledge into practice. Training into careers.
Training should go beyond memorising regulations. Every SQMI programme is built around practical application and workplace competence.
Practical application
Real case studies, field scenarios and exercises drawn from African workplaces.
Workplace competence
Risk assessments, incident investigations, inspections, safety reports and international standards: the tasks professionals are asked to perform at work.
OUR MISSION
Two things, done well.
Make workplaces safer.
We help organisations build a real safety and quality culture, one where risk is managed, standards are met and every worker goes home safe.
Build careers.
We train safety officers, HSE coordinators, quality managers and graduates in the practical, job-ready skills employers look for, so learners leave with more than a certificate: they leave with skills they can use.
TRAINING WITH EMPLOYABILITY IN MIND
A qualification matters when it opens doors.
That is why SQMI programmes are designed with employability in mind. Learners practise carrying out risk assessments, investigating incidents, conducting inspections, writing safety reports and applying international standards.
For young graduates, SQMI helps bridge academic knowledge and the practical competence recruiters look for. For working professionals, training can support greater responsibility, career progression and international mobility.
Training builds skills; employment and promotion outcomes depend on individual circumstances and employers. GROUNDED IN AFRICAN REALITIES
International standards, applied to real conditions.
Our trainers bring field experience, and our courses draw on the realities of the sectors learners work in.
Construction
Working at height, excavations, lifting operations and contractor management.
Logistics and ports
Cargo handling, vehicle movements, marine operations and terminal safety.
Manufacturing
Machinery safety, chemical handling and process control.
Energy
High-risk operations, permit-to-work systems and emergency preparedness.
Office and services
Ergonomics, fire safety, workplace wellbeing and compliance.
WHAT WE OFFER
Four ways to work with SQMI.
NEBOSH qualifications
Internationally recognised certificates and diplomas in occupational health and safety, delivered by a NEBOSH Gold Learning Partner.
ISO training
Implementation and auditor courses in ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety), ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environment).
Industrial risk management
Practical courses in hazard identification, risk assessment, fire safety and emergency response.
In-company training and consulting
Tailored programmes delivered on-site for organisations that want to train their teams and strengthen their management systems.
Not every programme listed here appears in the online course directory. Ask SQMI about current availability, levels and dates.
WHY CHOOSE SQMI
Recognised standards
NEBOSH-accredited since 2012 and a Gold Learning Partner since 2020.
Experience since 2010
Training safety and quality professionals in Cameroon and the CEMAC region since 2010.
Practical, not theoretical
Case studies, field scenarios and exercises drawn from African workplaces.
Bilingual delivery
Training available in English and French.
Career focus
Programmes built around the skills that help learners compete for roles locally and internationally.
Committed support
Dedicated tutors who guide learners from enrolment through to their exams.
WHERE WE ARE
Find the institute in Douala.
SQMI trains learners and employers from its base in Douala, serving Cameroon and the wider Central African region.
START YOUR JOURNEY WITH US
Graduate, safety officer or employer: start the conversation.
Whether you are looking for your first role, ready to take on more responsibility, or committed to protecting your people, SQMI can help you choose the right training.
Safety and Quality Management Institute: Knowledge into practice. Training into careers.
SQMI operates from one centre in Douala. We welcome enquiries from individuals and organisations elsewhere in Cameroon, across CEMAC and in West Africa, and confirm what delivery is possible case by case.
Delivery format, teaching and assessment language, assessment arrangements and intake dates are confirmed individually with admissions. No cross-border delivery is guaranteed.