Cameroon's ANTIC trains Northwest municipalities on digital transformation
The National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC) is conducting a three-day seminar in Bamenda, Northwest region, for 35 municipal councils, focusing on digital transformation. This event, the 7th edition of ANTIC's capacity-building seminar on ICT, is themed "Local Development in the Digital Age." Its primary goals are to support municipal councils in their digital transformation efforts and equip IT administrators with 21st-century digital skills. ANTIC's Director General, Prof. Ebot Ebot Enaw, emphasized that adopting ICT is now a necessity for local authorities to enhance service delivery, promote local development, increase transparency, and foster citizen participation. However, challenges such as malicious exploitation of digital platforms and the online publication of confidential documents require robust information system security. Currently, only 64% of Cameroon's communes (230) have received capacity building from ANTIC. In the Northwest region specifically, 48.6% of municipalities (17 out of 35) have a website, and only 12 have a Facebook page, with none of these pages being certified, increasing vulnerability to identity theft and impersonation. ANTIC is committed to assisting these councils in certifying their official social media pages. The seminar, in partnership with the Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development, the National Civil Status Office, and Feicom, covers topics like IT master plans, secure information systems, digitizing civil registration, ICT project funding, and change management. It also serves to assess the region's ICT needs, gauge current penetration levels, and guide future ANTIC support.
This initiative by ANTIC addresses the critical need for public institutions to modernize through digital transformation, aligning with global trends in governance and service delivery. The seminar's focus on capacity building and security highlights a proactive approach to leveraging ICT for local development while acknowledging inherent risks. The disparity in digital adoption across municipalities, particularly in the Northwest region, underscores systemic challenges in resource allocation and technical expertise. By emphasizing certified online presence and secure systems, ANTIC aims to mitigate vulnerabilities and build trust in digital public services. Future efforts should consider scalable solutions for infrastructure, cybersecurity training, and sustainable funding models to ensure equitable digital inclusion across all local government bodies in Cameroon.
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