Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
The evaluation report on the state of citizen participation in public policies at local levels in the era of the Information and Communication Technology was presented to the public during a press dinner organized in Yaounde, Political capital of Cameroon, on June 26, 2024. The objective was among others, to highlight opportunities offered by the internet and social media for an inclusive participation in local governance.
An overview presentation of the report shows that youths are not actively involved in public policies at local levels. From the report, only about 38% of councils across the country have a youth exchange platform and regularly organize workshops destined to youths.
The studies were carried out in 118 municipalities in Cameroon and close to 6,000 people were sampled, among them 57 traditional and rulers and 50 religious officials.
“The days ahead are brighter for councils in Cameroon with the use of ICTs,” says Paul Joel Kamtchang, Executive Secretary of ADISI-Cameroun.
He was reacting through videoconference at the presentation ceremony of the evaluation report. “I am glad that ENAM students are present in the halt to follow the report. It will edify them and guide them when they get to active service”, the Executive Secretary said.
Present at the ceremony was a sub director from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Rene AHANDA, who presented the different legislations in Cameroon relative to youths as well as international treaties ratified.
From the report, most council areas have not yet embraced the internet and its offers, not to talk of the social media. Less than 15% of councils make use of the internet and its services (Facebook, Website…etc). Most of them use classic media to reach out to and encourage citizen participation.
“Only about 5% of councils have youths of less than 35 in their council executives,” says Aristide Mono, whose organization carried out the evaluation. He said one of the reasons behind the low citizen participation in local governance is the fact that some council authorities are reticent when it comes to youth issues within their municipalities.
The way forward
About 74% of youths in Cameroon have an android Telephone according to the report. Most of them concentrate on it on a daily basis. It is therefore imperative to get them involve in local governance through their Telephone sets and related applications.
ADISI-Cameroun through the report made some vital recommendations on the way forward in involving youth and citizen participation.
To the youths, the organization calls on them to put in more interest in local governance and better organize themselves and cultivate the spirit of leadership.
Council authorities are encouraged to ameliorate collaboration between councils and youths through constant and fruitful organization of seminars involving the youths among other.
Civil society organizations equally have a role to play to make this work. One of the recommendations was for them to incite the youths to join their networks and initiative, lobby for a better integration of youths in the management and functioning of council areas among others.
Above all these, a call was equally sent to the government to valorize the role of youths in nation building and accompany youth-led programmes and initiatives relative to local governance.
The present report it should be noted is a follow up of another report carried in 2022 by ADISI-Cameroun in four councils in Cameroon and which focused on youth and health.
About ADISI-Cameroun
The Association for Integrated Development and Interactive Solidarity (ADISI-Cameroun) is a civil society organization whose core business is information and governance.
Its main goal is to give Cameroonian citizens easy access to information and freedom of expression.
