Current ICT Initiatives and projects - Republic of Cameroon
A range of initiatives have been undertaken at national level over the past number of years focused on stimulating the use of ICT as a development tool to alleviate poverty and other challenges. They include:
- Government action plan for an information and knowledge-based society by Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation;
- Implementation of ICT development programme by Ministry of Higher Education;
- Creation of multimedia resource centres at secondary and high schools by Ministry of Secondary Education;
- Introduction of compulsory ICT related programs in Primary and Secondary schools;
- Liberalisation of the audiovisual sector by the Ministry of Communication;
- Implementation of National Governance Programme by the Prime Ministers' Office;
- Use of ICTs to manage State Personnel by Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reform (SIGIPES), the update of the system is at the implementation phase with financial and technical help from European Union
- Computerisation of National Identity Card by the Delegation of National Security; The Government is currently analyzing the possibility of updating the system with the integration of security related technologies such as the PKI and biometriques;
- Issuing of Biometrique Passport by the Delegation of National Security;
- Computerisation of Electoral Process by Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation and
- Establishment of the national Public Key Infrastructure. Key national application secured with this system include: e-procurement (management of public contracts), e-Guce (management of the payment of importation/exportation dues at the sea port) and national social insurance system.
Initiatives supported by external funding include:
- Definition of National Information and Communication Plan (NICI Plan) by UNECA;
- UNDP Initiative on ICT Policy in Cameroon within the framework of the Second Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD II);
- ITU Support for formulation of MINPOSTEL Sector Strategy;
- UNESCO Support to development of community and rural radios
- CTO support to MINPOSTEL in developing Cameroon's national cybersecurity strategy.
The National Electrification Project
Cameroon has exprienced challenges with electricity supply resulting in power shortages even in some parts of major towns and hindering access to information and communication technologies. Despite the efforts made by the electricity corporation (AES SONEL), some towns can be without electricity for several hours or days.
A joint project to extend the road network and distribution of electricity in 400 localities in 8 regions to serve an additional 332,000 new subscribers (covering 1,5 million inhabitants) was prepared. By 2020, the Government aims to achieve a 48% countrywide electrification rate, a 75% electricity access rate in urban areas and a 20% rural electrification rate. The project started in 2010.
Additionally, in March 2015 the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, and the General Manager of HUAWEI Technologies & Co. Limited signed a loan convention for 106 million USD (about 53 billion CFAF), to finance phase one of the solar system electrification project for 350 villages in Cameroon. This project is still ongoing as at September 2017.
Organization(s)/funding sources: Loan agreement worth 22Billion FCFA between the ADB group and Cameroon represented by the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Management in Tunis.
Geographic scope and time frame : National, ongoing to end by 2035.
The projects outlined below are focused on building human capacity, strengthening the legal, regulatory, institutional and infrastructure frameworks. They were identified in September 2009 as part of the National Strategy for ICT Development, and are funded through the Public Investment Fund. Some of these projects will receive funds from international donors including the African Development Bank, World Bank and the European Union.
Building Human Capacities
With limited qualitative and quantitative human resources in the managerial and technical field in general, and the ICT field in particular, the government aims to put in place a training program to build the capacity of state personnel in ICT. Related projects include: Training staff and multimedia resource center attendants on the use of ICT and creation of a training center for state personnel. ANTIC has organised annual workshops since 2009 to reinforce ICT-related skills for government officials.
Geographic scope cost and time frame : National, 2 440 000 000 francs CFA from 2010 to end of 2035.
Improving the Legal, Regulatory and Institutional Framework
The development and implementation of a legal, regulatory and institutional framework is likely to facilitate the development of an economic sector through Information and Communication Technologies, to create a competitive environment for the development and the provision of electronic communications services, stimulate innovation, create a framework for reducing costs and diversify the choices of consumers.
The Government recognizes the need to periodically revisit the legal system, regulatory and institutional framework to take account of rapid technological change.
To create a conducive environment for development and delivery of electronic services related to e-government and e-commerce, the following laws were enacted in December 2010:
- Law No. 2010/012 of 21 December 2010 related to cyber security and cyber crime
- Law No. 2010/013 of 21 December 2010 governing electronic communications
- Law No. 2010/021 of 21 December 2010 governing electronic commerce
These laws reinforce Law No. 98/014 of 14 July 1998 governing telecommunications in Cameroon. The overall objective is to create a normative and institutional environment to facilitate and promote the integration of Cameroon in the global information and knowledge society.
Geographic scope, cost and time frame : National, 340 million CFA, 2010 to 2012.
Strengthening the rule of Law and Sovereignty
Information and Communication Technologies will be used as a powerful tool in safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial surveillance to improve population management, the fight against antisocial behavior and behavior that may jeopardize the rule of law. The identication cards are computerized and secured with PKI and biometric technologies, the computerization of judiciary system still ongoing. Projects focused on territorial security include: Data center deployment, putting a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in place and a certification authority. The PKI and certification authority are now operational. A feasibility study is being undertaken in relation to the national data center.
Geographic scope, cost and time frame : National, 22 336 259 000 francs CFA, 2010 - 2025
ICT Infrastructure Development
While the national ICT infrastructure was weak, access to ICT services in general and the Internet in particular is based on the deployment of a reliable telecommunications infrastructure.
The Government is committed to develop the electronic communications infrastructure development program. The following projects were undertaken to develop communications infrastructure: National backbone infrastructure (more than 6,000 densify the telecommunications network and Internet development through the implementation of km of Optical Fibre cable has been laid over the national territory with an additional 50km of Fibre Optic forming a mesh in the economic capital, Douala and the capital, Yaounde), extension of government intranet, establishing an Internet Exchange Point (IXP), Wimax telecommunications infrastructure network and equipped multimedia centers.
The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Centre is operational since October 2012 hosting two authorities namely: Cameroon's Root Certification Authority and Government Certification Authority. ANTIC has intensified the process of securing the Cameroon's cyberspace with PKI by planning key government applications to be secured in 2015. Key national application secured with this system include: e-procurement (management of public contracts), e-Guce (management of the payment of importation/exportation dues at the sea port) and national social insurance system.
Geographic scope; cost and time frame : National, 98 018 320 000 francs CFA, 2009 - 2012.
Development of Social Sectors through the use of ICT
Based on a perception of low use of ICT in both public and private sectors and within the general population, the Government undertook to ensure ownership of ICT within the health, education, agriculture or rural development sectors. In this era of information society, ICT is an indispensable tool for human development.
Within the framework of the Pan-African online services project supported by the government of India, three pilot projects were undertaken including:
eHealth: The University Teaching Hospital (CHU) in Yaoundé is linked to the hub in Congo Brazzaville for tele-medicine activities
Tele-education : The University of Yaoundé I (National Advanced School of Engineering) has been equipped for online courses in the Central African sub-region.
Tele-diplomacy: The Ministry of External relation has been equipped with communication devices for high-level communication between Heads of States.
Geographic scope, cost and time frame at national level : 4 570 million CFA, 2010 - 2013.
Modernising the Public Service
A major focus of Government policy is to modernize the management of the state with an efficient public administration, decentralization of government, and public participation in decision-making. The capabilities of Information and Communication Technologies to enhance the modernization of public services will ensure the improvement of government's relations with citizens, public and private companies or increase the effectiveness of their internal functioning.
The Government is committed to develop online services (extension of the pan-African online service project with the Indian government, web site development, electronic management of documents and dematerialized procedures, setting up of treasury ATM payments, governmental and national ICT web portals), modernize working tools (extending the government intranet to regions, creating multimedia centers, dematerialization of public contract procedures, electronic archiving of public contract files, computerizing toll gates), scanning the national heritage and develop planning tools for strategic management (integrated fiscal management and financial management & accounting system, accountability of government expenditure, research on socio-economic impact of ICT, developing a strategy and program for e-governance, elaboration of the '.CM' domain name policy, creating a multidimensional statistical database, spatial data infrastructure, computerizing the electoral system, feasibility studies to develop local content e.g. digitizing of national cultural, scientific and touristic heritage). ICT master plans are in the process of elaboration in public administrative units, ministries websites are being developed and a government intranet is ongoing.
In order to have a concrete programme in the modernization of the public sector, ANTIC in partnership with UNU-IIST has elaborated the draft of the electronic governance strategy in Cameroon, the document development is based on consideration of the following perspectives:
- Information and Service Delivery;
- Internal Government Operations;
- Enablers;
- Impact on Growth and Development
The Government of Cameroon is currently developing the Implementation of the Strategy and the eGovernment Master Plan. With technical and financial support from the Korean government, the eGovernment Master Plan Development project has been extended to 2017 in order to improve on the quality of the document and a suitable environment to roll-out the plan.
Geographic scope, cost and time frame : National, 30 076 640 000 CFA, 2009 - 2033
Development of an ICT Industrial Sector
Vision 2035 plans to make Cameroon an emerging country. To achieve this, its dominant role as a consumer of technology needs to be changed to that of a producer. In this context, the Government is committed to supporting indigenous development of service industries and ICT products through programs to promote ICT companies and support Research and Development in the area. Partnerships will be developed between the research world and the professional world in Cameroon. Major projects include: organizing a national forum on Internet and ICT governance, feasibility studies to put in place an ICT technopole in Cameroon, creation of a platform for R&D.
Geographic scope, cost and time frame : National, 1 525 000 000 CFA, 2010 - 2013
eServices that are operational:
- SIGIPES (online management of government employees);
- SYSTAC (Driving Licences Management) managed by Ministry of Transport
- SYDONIA (Import & Export Management) managed by the Custom Department, MINFI;
- Electoral System (biometric identification);
- Biometric passports
- eHealth (CHU, Yaoundé), eLearning (Univ. Yaoundé I) and eDiplomacy (MINREX) sponsored by the Indian government.
Some ongoing initiatives
- Primo (e-Procurement) system, which is used for the management of government contracts;
- Tax management, state budget management and public contracts payment management systems;
- Judiciary Management System, which will be used to manage court cases and related issues nationwide;
- National Civil Status Registry System. A national agency was created in 2015 through a presidential decree with the mandate of developing and managing the National Civil Status Registry System.
