Cameroon Extends 4th General Population Census by 45 Days to Count Remaining 40%
The Cameroonian government has extended the deadline for its 4th General Census of Population and Housing (RGPH), combined with the General Census of Agriculture and Livestock, for a second time. A new decree issued by the Prime Minister on July 31, 2026, grants an additional 45-day period, running from August 1 to September 15, 2026. This extension aims to complete the enumeration of households, individuals, and agricultural holdings nationwide. The census teams are tasked with identifying uncounted households, enumerating those missed, verifying complete geographic coverage, and implementing communication strategies to boost public participation. These efforts are intended to address the shortcomings of the initial 35-day period and a subsequent extension, which concluded on July 31, 2026. During these prior phases, only approximately 60% of the population was successfully counted, leaving a 40% gap. Field operations were hampered by strikes from census agents protesting unpaid allowances, indicating insufficient financial resources. The initial budget was 13.2 billion CFA francs, with 7 billion from the World Bank and 6.2 billion from the Cameroonian state. Following additional disbursements of 6 billion and 4 billion CFA francs in June, the total budget has increased to 23.5 billion CFA francs. The Prime Minister's decree emphasizes collective action involving administrative authorities, municipalities, and census agents to rectify previous failures and update the country's census data, which is nearly 22 years old.
The repeated extensions and budget increases for Cameroon's 4th General Census highlight significant operational and financial challenges. The government's stated goal of updating data, last collected two decades ago, is critical for effective national planning and resource allocation. However, the recurring issues of unpaid agent allowances and insufficient initial funding suggest potential systemic weaknesses in project management and fiscal foresight. The reliance on external funding, such as from the World Bank, underscores the importance of robust financial oversight to ensure timely disbursement and utilization of resources. Future census operations, and indeed large-scale public administration projects, could benefit from more resilient contingency planning, transparent communication with field staff, and potentially a phased approach that allows for iterative improvements and better resource management to avoid such prolonged delays and budget overruns.
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