Cameroon has taken significant steps to streamline the issuance of civil documents by introducing a digital system that enables faster processing and secure archiving of civil status records at the council level.
Implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funding from Denmark through the UNDP Funding Windows, the initiative covers ten municipalities in the Far North, North-West, and South-West Regions; namely Maroua III, Koza, Mindif, Méri, Mora, Limbe I, Buea City Council, Tiko, Bamenda III, and Bamenda City Council.
According to the UNDP, a crucial project objective is to enhance access to legal identity for youth, women, and vulnerable groups, which also entails upgrading physical infrastructure and digitalising civil status documentation.
This enables essential records, such as birth, marriage, and death certificates, to be securely issued, stored, and retrieved.
This move is especially important in areas facing crisis and displacement, such as the North and South West regions, helping protect citizens’ rights while improving access to essential services.
The organisation also noted that the digitalisation of civil registration services also strengthens institutional efficiency and resilience by ensuring the continuity of essential services and access to rights, even in occurrences of multiple disturbances related to security and climate.
Commenting on the digital system, mayor of Limbe I, Mbwaye Eposi Florence said: “We are proud to be pioneering the digitalisation of civil status documents in the South-West Region. Digitalisation helps us serve our population better by making our services more transparent, more reliable, and more accessible, especially for the most vulnerable.”
Chief of service, civil status, Mme Nga Ngono Doris Francine added: “Compared to the old system, digitalisation has significantly reduced our workload. “We used to fill three pages just to produce one birth certificate. Today, the process is faster, delivery times are shorter, and archiving is easier and more secure than under the manual system.”
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