Emmanuel Liyong Sama is a writer, conservationist, and cultural promoter from Balikumbat, Cameroon.
A former civil servant whose career progressed from game ranger to game-ranger trainer and protected-area conservator, he continues his stewardship of nature through the Centre for Indigenous Resources Management and Development (CIRMAD), a nonprofit organization he co-founded and actively leads. He holds a master’s degree and several diplomas in conservation studies.
Liyong is a Christian and a titled prince (Sam-yid) of the Balikumbat royal family. In addition to promoting traditional handicrafts, he initiated and leads the Mubako Language Development Project, where he also serves as a Bible translator and literacy teacher.
In 2018, he won the IPS–Charles Southwick Conservation Education Commitment Award, among other honors.
He produced and acted in the film Medicinal Wildlife Palaver. His published works include the novel Not According to Tradition; the poetry collection Green Doctrine; and The Hair Divide and Other Poems, which won the 2025 Goethe-Institut L’Aprèm’ du Livre promotion. His academic articles available online include Field Surveys on the Use and Means of Acquisition of Medicinal Wildlife Products in Cameroon, Report on Findings on Gaps in Laws and Policies, Practices and Perceptions on Disaster Risk Reduction in Bamenda City, and Wildlife and Sustainable Development.
Shattered Dreams and Other Poems is the third publication in his Uhuru Poetry Collection.
Biography
Emmanuel Liyong Sama is a writer, conservationist, and cultural promoter from Balikumbat, Cameroon. A former civil servant whose career progressed from game ranger to game-ranger trainer and protected-area conservator, he continues his stewardship of nature through CIRMAD, a nonprofit organization he co-founded and actively leads. He holds a master’s degree and several diplomas in conservation studies.