Cameroon Urges North West Councils to Accelerate Digital Transformation
According to Prof. Enaw, expanding the use of digital platforms will enable residents to access council services online, reducing the need for in-person visits to obtain information or track administrative processes.
Cameroon’s National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC) has called on municipal councils in the North West Region to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies, warning that local governments risk falling behind if they fail to modernize public service delivery.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day ICT capacity-building seminar for municipal councils, ANTIC Director General Professor Ebot Ebot Enaw said only 48.6 percent of councils in the region currently operate functional websites, while their use of social media remains limited. He noted that the lack of a strong digital presence undermines effective governance at a time when digital access has become increasingly important for citizen engagement and service delivery.
Held under the theme “Local Development in the Era of Digital Transformation,” the seminar has brought together mayors and ICT administrators from councils across the North West Region’s seven divisions. The training is designed to equip local government officials with digital skills that can improve administrative efficiency and strengthen interactions between councils and citizens.
According to Prof. Enaw, expanding the use of digital platforms will enable residents to access council services online, reducing the need for in-person visits to obtain information or track administrative processes. He added that digital transformation will also support the modernization of civil status registries and the automation of local revenue collection, helping councils improve efficiency while reducing revenue leakages.
ANTIC highlighted its broader national progress in supporting local government digitalization, noting that it has helped 230 councils—representing about 64 percent of councils nationwide—deploy digital solutions across their operations. The agency cited the successful deployment of secure National Civil Status Registry platforms in pilot councils in the Diamaré Division of the Far North Region and the Wouri Division of the Littoral Region using its Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
The seminar is being organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development (MINDDEVEL), the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance (FEICOM), the National Civil Status Registration Office (BUNEC), and the Public Contracts Regulatory Agency (ARMP). Through the initiative, ANTIC aims to accelerate the digital transformation of local governments and improve the delivery of citizen-centred public services across Cameroon.
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