The 2026 Digital Innovation Week (DIW) Boot Camp officially opened on 27 July 2026 at the Cameroon Digital Innovation Centre (CDIC), with Coordinator Mr. Abega Moussa presenting the programme's achievements, this year's key statistics, and new entrepreneurial innovations during the launch ceremony presided over by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng.

The 2026 edition of the Digital Innovation Week (DIW) Boot Camp officially got underway on Monday, 27 July 2026, at the Cameroon Digital Innovation Centre (CDIC), following its launch by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. The boot camp constitutes one of the flagship activities of the Digital Innovation Week, an annual initiative of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications aimed at promoting digital innovation, nurturing young talents, and supporting technology-driven solutions capable of addressing national development challenges.

The 2026 edition of the Digital Innovation Week is being organised under the theme “Protecting Cyberspace from the Misuse of Artificial Intelligence and Promoting Digital Patriotism,” highlighting the importance of responsible technology use and secure digital innovation.

According to the coordinator, since the inception of the Digital Innovation Week, the programme has recorded more than 3,000 online registrations, produced 75 laureates, and crowned four winners of the Special Prize of the President of the Republic. These achievements, he noted, testify to the growing impact of the initiative on Cameroon's innovation ecosystem.

Mr. Abega Moussa described the Digital Innovation Week Boot Camp as one of the best hackathon projects in Cameroon, owing to its unique model of providing 100 percent support to participants throughout the programme while rewarding every finalist with both cash and material prizes. He equally underscored another distinctive feature of the initiative: the unwavering commitment of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, who has personally presided over every edition of the competition since its inception. According to him, this consistency reflects the high importance she attaches to fostering digital innovation among Cameroonian youth.

Turning to the 2026 edition, the coordinator disclosed that 631 online applications were received, comprising 496 male and 135 female applicants. He explained that, given the enthusiasm of participants and the quality of submitted projects, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications instructed that the number of shortlisted candidates be increased from the initially planned 15 to 20 finalists.

The final selection consists of 14 male and 6 female innovators drawn from several regions of the country. Yaoundé emerged with the highest representation, accounting for nine candidates, followed by Bamenda with five, while the Littoral Region and the West Region each produced two candidates, with the South-West and Adamawa regions each contributing one finalist. Mr. Abega Moussa, however, expressed surprise at the relatively lower representation from the Littoral and South-West regions compared with previous editions.

He further revealed that the majority of the selected participants are students in Levels One, Two and Three of higher education institutions, alongside a number pursuing master's degrees. The youngest finalist is Aboubakar SIDDIKI, a 19-year-old innovator from Ngaoundéré.

Mr. Abega Moussa noted that all twenty shortlisted projects satisfy the competition's requirements. Beyond helping participants refine their projects and strengthen their final pitches, this year's boot camp introduces enterprise creation as a new component, encouraging participants to work in synergy to establish innovative businesses and become entrepreneurs.

Concluding his presentation, Mr. Abega Moussa thanked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, on behalf of the scientific committee, for her unwavering support and commitment to the Digital Innovation Week Boot Camp.