[DIGITAL Business Africa] – Chief Dr Joseph DION NGUTE, Prime Minister of Cameroon, during the Opening ceremony of Digital Week Cameroun 2023. Verbatim.
« Cameroon is particularly honoured to be hosting the second digital week of the city, in line with a new orientation aimed at supporting member countries in their digital transformation objectives »
« These technologies are the enablers of interactions between individuals, cultures, and economies on a worldwide scale. »
« We are witnessing a privileged moment in the history of relations between the state of Cameroon, the Commonwealth telecommunications organization, and all the members of this prestigious organization »
« This cooperation has also facilitated the exchange of expertise with other member countries, contributing to the positive evolution of the global digital ecosystem. This approach is in line with our prior objectives set out in Cameron’s national development strategy by 2030. »
« The telecommunications development strategy is based on connecting households and businesses to the fiber optic network already installed. It also involves continuing to invest in modernizing infrastructure, extending geographical coverage, improving the quality of internet service and offering new more attractive products as well as developing the digital economy. »
« As a result of the liberalization of the telecommunication sector, there are now four operators that have concessional contracts and more than 35 others that have licenses to provide various services. »
« In terms of investments, the government is working to deploy cutting edge digital infrastructure, submarine communication cables for international connectivity. More than 20,000 kilometers of terrestrial cable have been deployed and formed the National backbone and metropolitan rings in all major cities. »
« At the sub-regional level, we have undertaken to establish direct optical fiber connections with neighboring countries such as Chad, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, and Nigeria, in order to strengthen cooperation and cross-border trade »
« My hope is that the delegates of this meeting will seize the opportunity to capitalize on each other’s experience and to draw up recommendations on issues such as universal access to information and communication technologies, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of women and people with living with disabilities. »
« Over the next three days, your order will be the center of attraction in the field of digital technologies and cooperation for their development. »
Talking about opportunities in the digital sector, « this is one of the best ways of reducing youth unemployment. I want to encourage you to take advantage of digital and technological development to improve your living conditions and those of your fellow citizens. »