By Doh James Sonkey
The first ordinary and extraordinary sessions of the National Advertisement Council have ended in Yaounde with a warning that henceforth, sanctions will be taken against any operator who is not toeing the line in the advertisement sector as from 2026 in Cameroon. The measures were announced last December 5, 2025 at the close of the extraordinary session by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Communication, Prof Felix Zogo representing Minister Rene Emmanual Sadi.
Prof Felix Zogo said, ‘‘we will make sure that all the operators in the chain of advertisement operate in a favourable judicial environment. Let’s continue to make sure that all those who are still dragging their legs behind are committed to respect the rules and regulation.’’
Members of the Council also examined new mechanisms to enforce compliance across online and traditional advertisement platforms.
Speaking to reporters, the Permanent Secretary of the National Advertising Council who doubles as Director of Private Press Development and Advertising at the Ministry of Communication, Ngankak Kisito explained that, “there are a series of recommendations that have been made, to the Minister of Communication aiming to strengthen the regulation of the advertising sector in our country. After more than five years of awareness-raising, during which pedagogy has been privileged, the operators were put in front of their responsibilities. The awareness-raising was done as best as possible to allow people to know the texts regulating the sector, to have an improved knowledge of it, taxation in the matter, elements related to decentralisation. It turns out that currently such a number of operators persist in disrespecting these different tests that govern or surround the advertising activity.’’
He justified that ‘‘as a result, the Minister estimates that it is time to apply the sanctions that are planned by law, and which will now be applied without weakness to all operators, who in particular will engage in activities such as advertising. We will not only focus on the broadcasters, there are also other advertising operators, including the directors, who have become regulators, that is to say that judges have left and have placed an oath in the context of the jurisdiction, and have become officers. Officers and judicial police have special skills and are involved in the field of regulation, even though they have the quality of an operator. The Minister estimates that this will also have to be followed up, and then they will be engaged, according to their meeting, so that everyone in the field of advertising can play their role.’’
Ngankak Kisito specified that ‘‘we can withdraw operators’ licenses, but there are also penal sanctions, which are all planned by the penal code, and which are included in the law on advertising, and which can be applied to a number of operators.’’