Cameroon has forged a financial partnership with South Korea, securing an agreement worth XAF 23.21 billion (approximately $38 million) to fund five developmental initiatives, with a strong emphasis on digital transformation within the nation. Alamine Ousmane Mey, the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, has confirmed the allocation of a portion of these funds to the subsequent phase of a critical project aimed at enhancing and digitizing Cameroon’s civil status registration system.
Of the total grant, $4.8 million is earmarked for the establishment of a robust and secure foundational identity system across Cameroon. This investment is expected to lay the groundwork for a more reliable and accessible civil identification infrastructure.
Additionally, the “e-Procurement System Development Project” in Cameroon, which is focused on transitioning the public contracts procurement system to a digital platform, will receive a boost from this agreement. An allocation of $5.6 million from the grant will be dedicated to the project’s second phase, with the goal of streamlining procurement processes and improving both transparency and efficiency in the system.
The Minister also highlighted the inclusion of a “Smart Campus” initiative, which is set to receive $8 million from the grant. This project is designed to advance digital governance within public administration and to modernize the delivery of public services, aligning with the country’s broader digital government strategies. Cameroon embarked on a master plan for the digitalization of the civil registration system back in 2018, which is part of the broader Strategic Plan for the Rehabilitation of Civil Registration in Cameroon spanning from 2018 to 2022.
Under this Master Plan, an interface has been established to link the civil status system with other critical sectors, such as the national identity agency, and the ministries of justice, transport, and health. Furthermore, a pilot project utilizing the OpenCRVS platform for birth registration has been successfully completed in 20 municipal councils across Cameroon, marking a significant milestone in the country’s digitalization efforts.
The “Support Program for the Modernization of the Civil Registration System” (PAMEC) in Cameroon is a significant initiative that has garnered international support, notably from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). These agencies have provided financial backing and expertise to assist Cameroon in its efforts to overhaul and modernize its civil registration system.
In a move to bolster this initiative, Cameroon secured a grant agreement in August 2022, amounting to 1.683 billion FCFA (approximately $2.8 million), dedicated to enhancing the country’s National Civil Status System. This financial support is a testament to the international community’s commitment to aiding Cameroon in addressing its systemic challenges.
Historically, Cameroon’s civil registration system has faced significant hurdles in accurately recording vital events such as births and deaths. Statistics indicate that only about half of all births are documented, and the registration of deaths is even less common. This inadequate documentation has far-reaching consequences for individuals, often leading to their exclusion from critical services and civic participation. Without birth certificates, many are denied access to formal education, healthcare services, the ability to travel legally, participate in voting, and the opportunity to open bank accounts or own property.
The PAMEC project is therefore a crucial step towards rectifying these issues, aiming to create a more inclusive and functional civil registration system that can reliably document these essential life events and, by extension, protect the rights and improve the lives of Cameroon’s citizens.
