Following research into two of Cameroon’s ten regions in 2020 and 2021, the country’s National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC) has found that the ICT penetration is below 14%. The body wants to address this through training and ICT infrastructure.

ANTIC has organised a three-day capacity-building training session for officials from municipalities in the English-speaking South West region. However, it the session will be extended to cover all 360 local and 43 city councils in the country.

Speaking in Limbe on 5 April 2022, Director General of ANTIC Prof Ebot Ebot Enaw said: “Indeed as enablers of the transparent management of resources and drivers of good governance and job creation, ICTs can help our local councils significantly improve the living conditions of citizens in their municipalities.”

ANTIC wants to use the training to equip municipal authorities and their staff with digital skills required to optimise service delivery.

The Agency will provide municipalities with access to information systems guidelines that align with relevant international best practices and standards.

In addition, it will help them in the digitalisation of the civil status register as well as the procurement procedures for ICT projects. Moreover, the organisation will make available its expertise to help municipalities build secured information systems, seek funding for ICT projects, and the importance of an IT master plan for municipal councils.

“Our approach in achieving these objectives is people-centred, impact-based and development oriented, with focus on the impact of our efforts in advancing the adoption and uptake of ICT in municipal councils, with a view to improving digital service delivery to citizens,” said Enaw.

The Director General added that this latest initiative represents ANTIC’s contribution to the government’s decentralisation efforts – empowering local authorities to initiate and implement projects and programmes that effectively respond to local community needs.