Cameroon aims to attain digital independence by building its data centre ecosystem, and the National Centre for the Development of Computer Services (CENADI) has been tasked with leading the drive.
During a meeting last week, finance minister Louis Paul Motaze emphasised the importance of digital sovereignty, describing it as a critical pillar of economic and political autonomy in the digital era.
“Safeguarding important public information and statistics can only be made possible in this modern age, through digital sovereignty,” Motaze emphasized.
According to CENADI's three-year study on the Cameroonian data centre ecosystem, the country's data centre landscape is currently facing challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, unreliable energy supply, and limited internet bandwidth — all of which are required for modern data centres to perform optimally.
The study notes that the majority of existing facilities are small to medium in size and lack sufficient certification or accreditation, raising substantial issues about security, data integrity, and disaster readiness.
These difficulties are exacerbated by insufficient internet connectivity, a scarcity of competent workers, and ineffective collaboration among key parties, reads the report.
Despite these impediments, the government sees digital independence as a key driver of economic transformation.
Officials believe that establishing a strong data centre infrastructure will not only encourage local innovation and job creation, but will also attract foreign investment.
The report indicates that growth in the sector requires particular attention in terms of certification, security, connectivity and energy efficiency.
Mveh Chantal Marguerite, director of CENADI, highlighted the need for incentive-based policies to support data centre development and called on operators to adopt sustainable practices to overcome existing barriers.
“Data centres are a constituent element to the digital transformation of Cameroon. Implementing the recommendations of this report will go a long way towards reinforcing Cameroon’s position on the African digital space and improve the living conditions of the citizens,” Marguerite said.
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