Cameroon Plans 12,242 Public-Sector Hires, With Focus on Schools and Hospitals

Cameroon plans to add 12,242 workers to the public sector in 2026, with education and healthcare accounting for the bulk of the new positions.

The figure comes from a letter sent by Séraphin Magloire Fouda, Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s Office, to the Minister of the Public Service and Administrative Reform, according to Business in Cameroon.

The recruitment plan, which the letter says has been approved by President Paul Biya, is divided into three categories: 11,137 positions under special recruitment programs, 890 positions through standard recruitment procedures, and 215 openings through professional examinations.

Special recruitment programs account for about 91% of the planned hires. Education is set to receive the largest share of new personnel. The government plans to recruit 3,000 contract teachers for primary and preschool education, 1,000 trainee students for teacher-training colleges, including Higher Teacher Training Colleges (ENS) and Higher Technical Teacher Training Colleges (ENSET), and 2,500 student teachers and guidance counselors graduating from those institutions.

Together, those measures represent 6,500 positions. Healthcare is the second-largest recruitment priority. The government plans to absorb 2,944 health workers currently employed under precarious arrangements and recruit an additional 1,120 healthcare professionals, bringing the total number of health-sector hires to 4,064.

The move reflects ongoing efforts to address staffing shortages in a sector that has faced significant human-resource challenges for years. Other special recruitment programs include 490 positions in the prison administration and 83 research positions within the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation. Combined, these allocations account for the 11,137 positions earmarked under the special recruitment category.

Standard recruitment programs account for 890 openings. These include 470 positions through competitive entrance examinations, 100 places for the National Youth and Sports Centers (CENAJES) and the National Institute of Youth and Sports (INJS), and 220 places at the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM).

The government also plans to recruit 100 additional personnel to strengthen services responsible for enforcing the labor code.

The letter further mentions 215 openings through professional examinations, although no detailed breakdown was provided. According to initial government announcements, recruitment has already begun for 2,090 positions. That leaves 10,152 vacancies still to be filled before the end of the year, representing nearly 83% of the total hiring target for 2026.

The recruitment program comes at a time of strong demand for public services, particularly in education and healthcare. It also reflects the government’s effort to address staffing needs in priority sectors while maintaining targeted recruitment in research, youth and sports programs, labor administration, and the prison system.

Ludovic Amara