The fourth national recensement au Cameroun is currently navigating a period of significant turbulence. Originally scheduled to conclude on May 29th, the comprehensive population and housing enumeration initiative received a two-month extension through a decree issued by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute. Far from alleviating concerns, this decision has intensified criticism from segments of civil society, which highlights profound organizational shortcomings in a statistical exercise crucial for shaping public policy.
Philippe Nanga, coordinator of the non-governmental organization Un Monde Avenir, expressed strong disapproval, describing the process as a “general cacophony.” He emphasized the critical importance of such an undertaking for national planning. Nanga pointed to a striking example of logistical disarray: in Douala, the nation’s economic hub, census agents reportedly abandoned their duties after just ten days in the field, citing a complete lack of payment for their work.
A strategic statistical operation under pressure
For any nation, a census serves as the bedrock of public administration. Its outcomes dictate electoral district boundaries, the allocation of budgetary resources to local authorities, the appropriate sizing of educational and healthcare infrastructure, and the credibility of macroeconomic forecasts. Cameroun, whose last official population count occurred in 2005, has faced a significant deficit of up-to-date demographic data for several years. Consequently, the stakes for this fourth iteration extended far beyond a simple numerical update.
The two-month extension implicitly reveals the vast extent of the difficulties encountered on the ground. Challenges have mounted since the operation’s launch, including incomplete coverage of rural areas, delays in equipment delivery, and inadequate training for some enumerators. The social unrest initiated by agents in Douala further underscores a more systemic vulnerability: that of the payment chain and human resource management for an undertaking of this magnitude.
Civil society monitors a vital process
Through Un Monde Avenir, Philippe Nanga represents a segment of Camerounian citizen organizations that meticulously scrutinize major institutional processes. His public statements aim less at discrediting the operation itself and more at demanding accountability for its execution. Beneath the criticism lies a fundamental question: will the results produced under these conditions be statistically reliable and politically undeniable? This query is not trivial in a nation where disputes over official figures, whether demographic or electoral, are a recurring phenomenon.
The extension decreed by the Prime Minister’s office theoretically provides a window for rectification. However, this hinges on the timely provision of necessary financial resources. NGOs observing the process warn of the risk that a rushed operation might ultimately yield only a partial snapshot of the Camerounian population. International funders, such as the World Bank and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which traditionally support such exercises across the continent, are also closely monitoring the methodological rigor of national enumerations.
A clear message to public authorities
Beyond Cameroun’s specific situation, this debate reflects a common challenge for several Francophone African states: organizing exhaustive censuses within contexts marked by tight budgetary constraints, difficult-to-access territories, and security challenges in certain regions. Cameroun’s previous census in 2005 also experienced successive delays before its final results were published in 2010. Two decades later, the country continues to struggle with maintaining feasible timelines for its statistical operations.
Nevertheless, Philippe Nanga’s public intervention could significantly influence the public discourse as the additional timeframe elapses. Authorities are expected to demonstrate transparency in the operational framework, regularize outstanding payments owed to field agents, and communicate intermediate indicators. Failure to do so risks the fourth census entering Camerounian administrative history more for its setbacks than for its scientific contributions.
