STAKEHOLDERS CHART A ROADMAP FOR AN INCLUSIVE, INTEROPERABLE AND SOVEREIGN DIGITAL CAMEROON

A national strategic framework for data governance, stronger digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity, inclusion and responsible artificial intelligence are among the major recommendations from the 2026 Cameroon Internet Governance Forum, which brought together key stakeholders at the Yaounde Conference Centre from August 18 to 20, 2026.

For three days, public authorities, digital stakeholders, private-sector actors, academicians, civil society representatives and development partners converged at the Yaounde Conference Centre to examine issues shaping Cameroon’s digital transformation, including data governance, systems interoperability, cybersecurity, digital inclusion and the responsible development of artificial intelligence.

The forum was held under the Distinguished Patronage of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, under the theme: “From Fragmentation to Interoperability: Making Data the Cornerstone of Public Digital Infrastructure in Cameroon.”

The theme addresses the need to move from isolated digital systems towards platforms that can securely communicate and share data. Its relevance lies in improving collaboration between public administrations, reducing duplication, strengthening digital public services and ensuring that digital transformation delivers greater benefits to citizens while preserving cybersecurity and digital sovereignty.

The forum was officially opened on August 18, 2026, by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, representing the Prime Minister, Head of Government. The opening ceremony also brought together Achille Bassilekin III, Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, and Georges Elanga Obam, Minister of Decentralization and Local Development amidst other dignitaries.

At the opening, Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng called for greater synergy among stakeholders, stressing that fragmented action could undermine the country’s digital ambitions.

“When we operate in dispersed ranks, we expose ourselves to cyberattacks and populations cannot truly benefit from digital development,” she said.

For the Minister, the forum was therefore an opportunity to bring together the different components of the digital ecosystem around a common objective.

“Our ambition is to build a digital Cameroon that is more integrated, inclusive, equitable and sovereign,” she added.

She further called on stakeholders to move beyond discussions and assume responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of agreed actions.

“This must not be just a platform for dialogue, but a permanent platform for proposals, follow-up and evaluation of our collective actions.”

The discussions examined several dimensions of digital transformation, including the national strategic framework for data governance and the development of digital public infrastructure, building a safe and resilient Cameroon cyberspace, women, data and artificial intelligence, interoperable and secure digital public services, and responsible governance of artificial intelligence.

Infrastructure and technical standards also featured in the exchanges. The General Manager of CAMTEL, Judith Yah Sunday, highlighted the importance of reliable networks and platforms capable of enabling secure data circulation and communication between public administrations. The ITU Resident Representative for Central Africa and Madagascar, Tahiry Rakotoheriniaina, similarly stressed the importance of standardisation in making digital systems interoperable.

The three-day discussions culminated in recommendations centred around seven major areas: establishing a national strategic framework for data governance and the development of public digital infrastructure; leveraging data as the foundation for interoperable, inclusive and secure digital public services; strengthening digital infrastructure, cybersecurity and the resilience of Cameroon’s cyberspace; promoting digital and financial inclusion and reducing the cost of services; ensuring responsible, ethical and sovereign governance of artificial intelligence; empowering young people and women in digital citizenship; and developing a national roadmap for the inclusive governance of public digital infrastructure.

Receiving the report of the exchanges during the closing ceremony, on August 20, 2026, Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng said the discussions had demonstrated the need for a shared national vision to guide Cameroon’s digital transformation.

The outcome, she noted, points to the need for stronger governance, an appropriate legal and regulatory framework and effective institutional coordination to move the country from a fragmented digital environment towards one that is coherent, interoperable, secure, inclusive and sovereign.

As she looks forward to submitting the recommendations to the competent authority for strict directives as to how they will be executed, she reiterated the Government’s ambition to build a more integrated, inclusive, equitable and sovereign digital Cameroon.
Minister Libom Li Likeng called on all stakeholders to assume their responsibilities. She stressed that the forum must evolve beyond being a platform for dialogue into a permanent framework for proposals, follow-up and evaluation.