Myra Ngong’s rise in the communications space reflects an effective combination of her passion, hard work, creativity and consistency.
Myra Nangeh Ngong loves and adores all the different figures that have, in one way or the other, contributed in her journey in journalism and the wider communications field. But she easily falls back to one particular name and story whenever she is asked about the least talked about backstage story behind her ride in the space. Wunja Wenceslos, a one-time social prefect at Government Bilingual High School Bamenda in the North West Region first detected Myra Ngong’s incredible talent after the then youthful sensation took to the microphone and displayed what at the time was just an unpublished talent and creativity of a promising kid.
That was during a rehearsal session in secondary school. At the time, Myra Ngong was junior student in the institution.Before the incident which concluded with the social prefect encouraging Myra Ngong to consider a career path in journalism, the young Myra Ngong had, on several occasions, unsuccessfully attempted shooting herself to the limelight during different social events in the school. More than a decade after the encounters with Wunja Wenceslos, the now celebrated journalist’s star’s rise in communication and journalism as a reporter, television host and a master of ceremonies is summarized by those characters and moments that were displayed and lived back in secondary school: passion, hard work, creativity and consistency.
When passion, professionalism blend
Myra Ngong officially began her journalism adventure in the Cameroonian journalism ecosystem in 2012 as a fresh youngster from the University of Yaounde I. She had no academic or professional background in the field. Her most easily traceable record in the wider field of communications was a series of gigs in the entertainment industry, the same space where she met with one of Crtv’s most referred journalists and talk show hosts of all-time, Jimla Nene Shadzeka who later served as the primary link between the young Myra Ngong’s dreams and destiny at the state broadcasting corporation.
Since her introduction to the space particularly on famous Crtv breakfast talk show, Hello which has since been renamed Hello Cameroon, Myra Ngong has consistently risen through the ranks to cement status as one of the finest presenters in Cameroon.She has hosted or contributed in the production of close to a dozen top tier programs for the state broadcaster. Besides Hello, she has contributed on weekend programs Weekend Express, Bonne Weekend, one-hour daily magazine program, Midi Life and Promote Magazine, a specialized progam that showcases the increasingly-celebrated International Exhibition for Enterprises, SMEs and Partnerships of Yaounde, PROMOTE show annually, on the national television.
Hello Myra Ngong
On Hello, Myra Ngong worked under the smooth scrutiny of some of the show’s most famous hosts, versatile journalist and now political desk editor at Crtv national station, Albert Njie Mbonde, who hosted the program for a decade before his departure in 2006 and Jimla Nene Shadzeka, iconic for her narration skills and powerful voice. Originally brought in as a reporter for specialized series and slots in the Hello program before her rise to face more challenging tasks, Myra Ngong was easily groomed from being just a passionate, hardworking and creative youngster into an all-round television goddess. She was molded into an excellently appealing, confident and savvy star, as described by one of Crtv’s most respected figures, Robert Ekukole, the man who led the administrative side of the youngster’s recruitment by the state corporation.
Rising together
Following her grooming, Myra Ngong easily transitioned and began exclusively leading shows at the broadcaster. On Bonne Weekend, Weekend Express and a host of others, Myra Ngong easily blended her passion and professionalism. This, while dragging along a host of other young, determined and hardworking youngsters within the media institution thanks to a perfect utilization of her bilingual, unapologetic and appealing style of presentation as well as her relationship with other inhouse and external colleagues. With an effortless use of both the English and French languages on air and her consistent innovation, Myra Ngong quickly became a famous face on the Cameroonian broadcasting space. Imposing. Glamourous. Sassy. Classy.
Midi Life
Myra Ngong’s consistent rise landed her an opportunity to lead the creation of Crtv’s first ever bilingual television talk show with a single anchor. The idea which came from a suggestion from Cameroonian communications icon and Crtv’s senior staff, Prof Emmanuel Mbede, birthed Midi Life, a one-hour early-afternoon daily magazine program broadcast between 12:30pm and 1:30pm. Since launching the Midi Life program where she hosts a guest from different fields in each episode, Myra Ngong has hosted and interacted with a plethora of Cameroonians striving across different fields.
Her effortless interaction with guests and other contributors on the show which also includes chefs and live bands, have led to Cameroonians easily and increasingly falling in love with the talk show. The steady growth of the program as a result of not only the multiplicity of innovations and consistency, has left viewers rating the show as not just the best early afternoon talk show in the Cameroonian media landscape but as one of the finest programs on Cameroonian television.
Impacting lives beyond Crtv
Myra Ngong has a Bachelor’s Degree in Performing Arts and Cinematography from the University of Yaounde I and a Bachelor’s Degree in Corporate Communication from the University of Yaounde II. Before joining the Crtv, she excelled in several other fields outside the standard media landscape. She hosted gigs in the entertain industry, including movie premieres where she notably worked with some of the finest in the Cameroonian entertainment space and beyond. Notably, celebrated Cameroonian movie producer, Neba Lawrence.
Since further cementing her space in the limelight as a result of her endless display of class and prowess at state broadcasting corporation, Lady Myra Ngong has never stopped working with those in other industries. The television star is in her late 30s, has worked with the Ministry of Arts and Culture and a host of other national and international institutions and brands. The multi talented star who is also proficient in Microsoft office, excellent in Premier pro video editing and Adobe creative suite and social media and web management, also renders voluntary services to several structures in Cameroon in a bid to give back to the community.
One of the major institutions that she has collaborated with over the years is North West Region-based structure, Community Development Volunteers for Technical Assistance, CDVTA, an NGO that has for some two decades, strived in catering for the wellbeing of older persons through their reintegration into the wider society via diverse people-designed initiatives and projects. “Instead of leaving them in bed, tired and always sitting in one corner, the group helps fund their little passions that they turn into projects.
Some of them are interested in gardening. Some of them are interested in fishing. The NGO makes sure that there are accompanying them. They sponsor water projects, build schools, rehabilitate centers. They make sure that widows are back on their feet. They take care of orphans. I mean, versality cannot be over emphasized,” Myra Ngong recently told this publication when asked about her works with the North West Region-based structure. Those strides have left Myra Ngong, who simply describes herself as someone with a “Great storytelling skills and a nose for the truth” and a professional “…Seeking to leverage skills and experience to contribute to high quality journalism with experience in community, health, sports and environmental reporting as well as opinion writing”, in a class of her own.
