In 2016, the Cameroonian government had great ambitions for the digital sector. This was reflected in the “Digital Cameroon 2020” plan; which aimed to make digital a major lever for the country’s industrialization and economic development. The objective was to double the contribution of digital to GDP, increasing it from 5% to 10% in four years. Similarly, tax revenues from the sector were to increase from 136 billion FCFA in 2016 to 300 billion FCFA. Minette Libom Li Likeng, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, who stated in this regard, in an interview granted on January 26, 2016 to the public daily Cameroon Tribune: “This plan allows us to lay the foundations for the migration of our country towards a digital economy, a real lever for growth and job creator. This plan, whose vision is to “make Cameroon a digital country by 2020″, focuses on the development of broadband infrastructure, increasing the production of digital content, the digital transformation of all sectors of activity, the promotion of digital culture through the generalization of the use of ICT in the information society, the strengthening of digital trust and the development of a local digital industry, among others.”
A DISHONORABLE RANKING IN CENTRAL AFRICA
However, eight years after the implementation of this ambitious plan, the results are far from expectations. The contribution of digital technology to GDP stagnates at 5%, as confirmed by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, during the first edition of the Scientific Days of the Digital Economy in June 2024. A result that is verified with the ranking of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Development Index published in December 2023 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Cameroon obtains a score of 36.8 points, and ranks 6th among Central African countries in terms of ICT development among the 10 countries evaluated in the sub-region.
In addition, the study, titled “Measuring digital development: The ICT Development Index 2023”, analyzes the progress made in the field of ICT in 169 countries and territories by evaluating on a scale of 0 to 100 points based on 10 indicators, such as the percentage of Internet users, the penetration of mobile broadband, mobile Internet traffic (in gigabytes per subscription), the cost of mobile data and voice services, as well as the rate of mobile phone ownership, will not say less. According to this study, Cameroon is below average in most indicators. For example, when it comes to 3G and 4G network coverage, Cameroon scores 18.4 out of 100, while Gabon scores 98 out of 100 and Sao Tome 37.6 out of 100. When it comes to the price of mobile data and voice services, Cameroon scores only 0.8%, while Gabon scores 85.2%.
AI: A MAJOR GOVERNMENT PROJECT
Despite this gloomy situation, the government is not giving up and continues to believe in the potential of digital technology for Cameroon’s development. In June 2024, it organized National Consultations on Artificial Intelligence (CONIA) to consider ways to boost the sector. Specifically, it wants to take advantage of the opportunities offered by AI. Among the main recommendations resulting from these consultations are: the development of a national AI development strategy; the strengthening of digital infrastructure; the development of AI skills; the promotion of innovation and research in artificial intelligence; the development of an appropriate legal and regulatory framework for AI and the adoption of AI in the health, education, agriculture and other sectors with a high impact on social transformation; and the promotion of ethics and responsibility in AI.
These recommendations constitute an ambitious roadmap for the development of digital technology. “In a context that requires us to constantly question the effectiveness of our actions, it is up to us to ensure that the initiatives of all stakeholders contribute, in the expected proportions, to the implementation of the recommendations resulting from our national consultations on artificial intelligence. This is in order to guarantee greater performance, with solutions adapted to the major concerns of digital transformation. This is an important project for the government,” said Minette Libom Li Likeng at the closing of Conia.
CAN CAMEROON CATCH UP?
The challenge is immense, but not impossible. Cameroon has significant assets, such as a young and connected population. With 3.9 million users and a penetration rate of 13.8% according to the annual digital report proposed by MeltWater and We Are Social, it provides data on the figures for social networks in Cameroon in 2023. The government is showing determination to develop the digital sector and an improving business environment. “To date, our country has nearly 15,000 km of fiber optic cables, 4 submarine cables with a capacity of 32 TB, urban optical loops, two Internet exchange points, several data centers, and national network coverage of nearly 90%.”; Minpostel indicated in August 2023, recognizing the need to develop digital infrastructure at the Central Africa Internet Governance Forum.
According to experts, the government will also have to ensure that the private sector plays a leading role in digital development. The digital program of the SND-30, whose implementation schedule runs from 2021 to 2030, consists in particular of considerably reducing the digital divide by continuing the expansion of the fiber optic network; the construction of Datacenters (physical installation designed to host the critical applications and data of one or more organizations) and the implementation of the electronic governance system (E-Government). The budget allocated to this program amounts to 250 billion FCFA, we learned. We also note the Project for the Acceleration of Digital Transformation in Cameroon (Patnuc), which benefits from support from the World Bank worth 60 billion FCFA. Launched in August 2023, this program targets digital inclusion and the use of digital agricultural solutions by small farmers, actors in value chains. This is with a view to increasing the sector’s contribution to GDP.
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