In the global effort to safeguard Earth’s “second lung,” the Congo Basin, Dr. Nsah Mala (born Kenneth Toah Nsah) has emerged as a unique and indispensable voice. A polymath who navigates the worlds of high-level environmental research, speculative futurism, and award-winning poetry, Dr. Mala is redefining how we approach the preservation of the Congo Basin.
Early Life and Academic Excellence
Nsah Mala was born on 10 September 1988, in Mbesa (Mbessa), a rural kingdom in the Boyo Division of the North West Region of Cameroon. His journey from the fertile hills of Mbesa to the halls of international academia and public policy began with a record-setting performance in his secondary education. In 2009, he emerged as the national overall best candidate in Literature in English for the Cameroon GCE Advanced Level.
His academic path is a masterclass in multidisciplinary study:
- University of Yaoundé I: Earned a Bachelor’s in Bilingual Studies (English and French).
- École Normale Supérieure de Yaoundé: Diploma in Bilingual Letters (English and French).
- Erasmus Mundus Masters: Completed a prestigious programme spanning the University of Perpignan (France), University of St Andrews (UK), and University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), with a scholarship (45,000 EUROS) from the European Union.
- Aarhus University (Denmark): Obtained his PhD in Arts, Literature and Cultural Studies, specialising in Comparative Literature and Environmental Humanities, in 2022. His groundbreaking dissertation, “Can Literature Save the Congo Basin?”, won the Prix de thèses francophones en Prospective—an international prize dedicated to future-oriented research.
The Vision: Congo Basin Futures
Dr. Nsah Mala is recognized as a leading Foresight Practitioner and Futurist. Unlike traditional conservationists who focus solely on current data, Nsah Mala uses Participatory Foresight—a method that combines strategic foresight tools with storytelling and indigenous wisdom to imagine potential futures for the Congo Basin.
His signature project, #CongoBasinFutures, serves as a bridge between the present and the future. Key pillars of his work include:
- Indigenous Knowledge: He actively integrates the perspectives of the Kings and communities of the Mbessa, Oku, Ajung, and Din-Noni regions into environmental policy.
- Non-Human Centricity: His research advocates for “Planetary Wellbeing,” where the rights of non-human entities (animals and ecosystems) are protected alongside human interests.
- Global Recognition: In 2025, #CongoBasinFutures won the inaugural Dubai Foresight Award in the “Foresight for the Planet” category, presented at the Museum of the Future.
Other signature long-term visions Dr. Nsah Mala has helped to initiate include #Cameroon2050 (Cameroun2050) and #Africa2525 (#Afrique2525).
The Award-Winning Writer
While he is a scientist by day, Nsah Mala is a poet by soul. Writing in English, French, and his native Iteanghe-a-Mbesa, he has published numerous collections that critique political corruption (e.g., “Constimocrazy”) and celebrate environmental resilience.
His literary contributions are extensive:
- Poetry: Bites of Insanity (2015), If You Must Fall Bush (2016), Les Pleurs du mal (2019), etc., are staples of contemporary African literature.
- Children’s Literature: Books like Andolo, the Talented Boy with Albinism (2020) and Little Gabriel Starts to Read (2020) bring complex social and environmental themes to younger audiences.
- Anthologies: He has co-edited major volumes, including Corpses of Unity – Cadavres de l’unité (2020) and Congo Basin Poetry Anthology (forthcoming).
Current Roles and Legacy
Today, Dr. Nsah Mala serves as the Hub Coordinator for the UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition at the University of Cologne in Germany where they focus on promoting Planetary Wellbeing. He is also the Chairperson of the Mbessa Kingdom Indigenous Commission for Future Generations and Sustainability, the first of its kind in Cameroon and Africa. He has contributed to numerous international policy frameworks, especially the UN Pact for the Future, including its Declaration on Future Generations, and the Wales Protocol for Future Generations.
Academically, in 2023, he was admitted into the competitive Qualification aux fonctions de maître de conferences (MCF) in English Studies by the Conseil national des universités (CNU) in France. He has authored numerous academic articles, book chapters, edited volume, and public facing pieces in journalism, environmental humanities, sustainability science, strategic foresight, and long-term governance.
In the nonprofit sector, Professor Nsah Mala is the Publisher of The Ijim Times newspaper and founder of an NGO called Africa Needs Us Foundation (ANUF). Since 2021, he offers annual scholarships to brilliant young Cameroonians, according to GCE OL and AL results, especially IDPs and orphans, under the Ansama Teh Scholarship for Academic Excellence scheme. By sharing scholarships, other international opportunities and related tips on social media, he has reached over 10,000 Cameroonians and Africans with life-changing opportunities.
By combining the rigor of a researcher with the imagination of a poet, Dr. Nsah Mala ensures that the Congo Basin is not just seen as a resource to be managed, but as a living legacy to be cherished. He proves that to save our forests, we must first be able to imagine a future where they still stand.
“To save the Congo Basin, we must listen to the stories the forest tells, and the stories our children will one day tell about us.” — Dr. Nsah Mala
