Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, last January 21, 2025, announced that Cameroon is developing a national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. She made this announcement during the opening ceremony of national consultations for the development of the 2025 roadmap for the posts, telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. The Minister stressed that the objective of this strategy is to position Cameroon as a key player in the global AI ecosystem, with a focus on strategic sectors such as health, agriculture, education and governance. “It is crucial to put in place strong mechanisms to ensure responsible artificial intelligence, strengthen digital infrastructure, develop local skills and promote innovation”, she said.
This initiative is part of a context where the country seeks to exploit the potential of AI in key areas for its development. The national AI strategy will include a roadmap aimed at maximising the use of this technology while ensuring responsible and beneficial adoption for the country’s target sectors. A call for expressions of interest was also launched on August 2, 2024 for the preselection of firms or consultancy firms to support the government in this process. Cameroon’s ambition is clear: to make digital technology a driver of economic and social progress. However, despite this desire for transformation, the country still faces many challenges, particularly in terms of infrastructure and skills.
Indeed, according to the ‘Government AI Readiness Index 2023’ report by Oxford Insights, a British firm specialising in AI and digital transformation, Cameroon ranks 153rd out of 193 countries in terms of readiness for large-scale adoption of AI in the public sector, with a score of 30.2 out of 100. The failures are notable at all levels of the pillars assessed. However, promising projects show that the country is beginning to exploit this technology to improve its health services, optimise agricultural production and facilitate access to banking services.
However, effective implementation of the national AI strategy requires widespread access to robust digital infrastructure such as data centres, internet connectivity and cloud computing systems. The minister announced that priority would be given to improving access to high-speed internet, in order to ensure the functionality of AI applications and support innovation in key sectors. “We must ensure connectivity so that all Cameroonians have equitable access. When there is connectivity, we must improve the quality of service and it is not the responsibility of one person alone. There has been a tendency to blame only the operators, but it is the ecosystem that must contribute,” she said. This project places Cameroon in line with other African countries such as Benin, Algeria and Nigeria, which have already adopted national AI strategies to transform their economies.
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