Minette Libom Li Likeng au sujet du 61e conseil du CTO : “L’ART fait un excellent travail…” [Discours]

[Digital Business Africa] – Ce 30 août 2023 une conférence de presse a été organisée au ministère des Postes et Télécommunications pour la présentation des grands axes du 61^e conseil du CTO qui se tiendra à Yaoundé du 16 au 20 octobre 2023.

C’était en présence de Bernadette Lewis, la SG de l’Organisation des Télécommunications du Commonwealth, qui effectue depuis le 28 août 2023 une visite de travail au Cameroun. Lors de cet événement qui marquait également la présentation de la Digital Week qui se tiendra à la même période du 16 au 20 octobre 2023), la ministre des Postes et des Télécommunications a indiqué que la Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) a joué un rôle crucial dans la promotion de la collaboration et du partage des connaissances, du dialogue et de la coopération entre les pays du Commonwealth.

Au Cameroun, l’événement est préparé et sera organisé par l’Agence de régulation des Télécommunications (ART). Et selon la ministre des Postes et Télécommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, “l’ART, désigné par le Ministère des Postes et Télécommunications pour représenter le Cameroun au Conseil du CTO, a, à notre avis, fait un excellent travail et nous tenons à saluer les efforts consentis par la direction du CTO” pour l’organisation de cet événement.

Digital Business Africa vous propose l’intégralité du discours de la ministre.

“Madam Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization,
Distinguished Ministers,
Mr. Secretary-General of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications,

Mr. Director-General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Board (ART),
Ladies and Gentlemen, Directors-General,
Ladies and Gentlemen, representatives from various ministries,

All protocols duly respected, Ladies and Gentlemen,

“It is a great honour for me to speak on this occasion which marks the official start of the preparatory activities for the Cameroon Digital Week – October 2023. Indeed, during the 60th Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization (CTO) Council meeting held in London, on 24th of February 2023, the Republic of Cameroon was designated to host the 61st CTO Council here in Yaoundé from the 16th – 20th of October 2023.

It is to launch this great October event that the Secretary-General has undertaken a working visit to Cameroon to evaluate the level of preparedness.

It is, therefore, with great pleasure that we welcome you, Madam Secretary-General, on this morning of August 30th, 2023, to this Conference Hall of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Your presence here is a testament to the great relationship that Cameroon has with the oldest and most important of the Commonwealth member organizations in the ICT space.

I will not continue my remarks without first expressing my sincere gratitude to all the guests present here.

I would like to extend my special thanks to the members of Government who have honoured us with their presence despite significant scheduling constraints.

Dear Ministers, we are honoured with your presence which demonstrates the importance you attach to the development of the digital economy, a subject matter which is very dear to our Head of State.

Madam Secretary-General,

Your presence here opens new opportunities and perspectives for the cooperation between our country and the CTO. We hope that during your stay in Yaoundé, you will have the opportunity to discover the rich cultural diversity that makes Cameroon a unique beauty in a continent that is rich with history.

Cameroon, also known as “Africa in Miniature” or better still as “All of Africa in One Country,” offers a rich biodiversity that stretches from the deep equatorial forests of the South to the grasslands of the central belt, encompassing the arid and semi-deserts of the North, and the deserts of the Far North. We warmly welcome the CTO to Cameroon to share and exchange our experiences in the field of ICTs.

Cameroon is open to all forms of win-win cooperation with CTO member countries in to foster the growth and development of ICT solutions and the advancement of our peoples.

Once again, Madam Secretary-General, I extend a warm welcome to you and express my gratitude for your distinguished presence.

Madam Secretary-General,
Distinguished Members of the Government, Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

For several years, His Excellency Paul Biya, the Cameroonian Head of State, has continuously emphasized the necessity for our country to catch up with the development of the digital economy.

In each of his addresses, he underscores the importance of this sector for our country’s development, particularly in relation to youth employment, the knowledge economy, modernisation of our administration, promotion of financial inclusion, and the advancement of healthcare and education.

He has consistently called upon the Government to give special attention to the digital space.

In this context, the Government’s responsibility is to address all challenges of digital transformation through the creation of an enabling environment and a conducive ecosystem for the development, uptake and consumption of a digital tools.

The Government has thus drawn inspiration from this Presidential Vision to formulate a strategy aimed at consistently leveraging the advantages of the digital economy. The main thrust of this strategy revolves around the increase in the supply and demand of digital services within an enabling, regulated and digitally safe environment. It is important to highlight at this juncture that the implementation of this strategy is in accordance with the High Directives of the Head of State and under the authority of the Prime Minister, Head of Government.

Our focus is to narrow urban-rural digital divide, support youth entrepreneurship, and more importantly, promote the integration of digital tools into the economic fabric of the nation as well as in the conduct of government business.

Our ultimate goal is to give our citizens a better quality of life, promote decent employment, while taking into account values of social inclusion, gender equality, cultural diversity, and citizenship.

The development of access infrastructure including universal access, the establishment of a local ICT industry, the creation of a favourable ecosystem for innovation are some of the items in our toolbox.

The government has invested in four submarine cables, 20,000 kms of national fibre transmission links and metropolitan urban distribution rings, updated existing legal and institutional frameworks, created a National Centre for Innovation and Development of the Digital Economy (CDIC) and has provided an extended framework to boost the creation and establishment of businesses by young people. The government has also taken significant measures to reduce the cost of internet for startups and learners.

Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
In a globalized world, the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) plays a pivotal role in connecting individuals, cultures, and economies on a global scale.

Like many other countries, Cameroon has embraced Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a critical lever to stimulate economic growth, enhance public services, strengthen citizen engagement, and foster youth employment.

In our assessment, the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization (CTO) has played and is poised to play a crucial role in advancing collaboration and knowledge sharing, dialogue and cooperation among governments, businesses, and the civil society within the commonwealth umbrella. As a member of the CTO since 2002, our country has consistently leveraged the CTO platform to enhance its ICT capabilities.

Through joint initiatives with the CTO, we have been able to solidify policies and projects aimed at expanding Internet access, promoting digital literacy, and encouraging technological innovation as well as cybersecurity. This cooperation has also facilitated the exchange of experiences and expertise with other member countries, contributing to the positive evolution of the global digital ecosystem.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Board, designated by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, to represent Cameroon on the CTO Council in our opinion has been doing an excellent job and we want to laude the efforts consented for the CTO by the management of this board.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Digital Week will take place from October 16 to 20, 2023, in Cameroon, focusing on three main areas: Cameroon FutureScape, the Youth Forum, and the CTO Council. The main objective of this event is to demonstrate the positive externalities of ICTs on the advancement of the society as a whole with no one being left behind.

Participants will have the opportunity to be fully immersed in digital technologies and the solutions inherent in them. It will also provide an opportunity for us to showcase Cameroon success stories in digital innovations while identifying areas that require additional support and international expertise. It is my expectation that the synergies developed around workshops, conferences, and training sessions will contribute to defining clear directions for the future of digital transformation in Cameroon and other member countries.

Madam Secretary-General of the CTO,
Distinguished Ministers,
Honoured guests with your respective ranks and titles,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

In his address to the Nation on December 31, 2018, His Excellency Paul Biya, the Head of State, stated (and I quote),

“…it is essential that we do more to integrate the advancements of the digital world into the functioning of our public services and our economy. The digital society that lies ahead will not wait for the laggards.” (End of quote)

It is all evident that the events in October are fully aligned with the numerous directives from the President of the Republic. Through the Cameroon Digital Week, the government aims to bolster the prospects of digital development in our country and seize all the opportunities presented by this sector.

At this juncture, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Madame Lewis for visiting our country and I would also like to commend her great leadership at the helm of the CTO. With regards to our commitment, I would like to assure you, Madame Secretary-General, that the Cameroonian government will spare no effort to ensure the success of the Digital Week scheduled in October.

At this juncture Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to call on all our technology partners here seated (CAMTEL, MTN, Orange, Huawei, ZTE, HIS, etc) as well as those following us online, to massively register and take part in the October events. We welcome your sponsorship and exhort you all to take up the prestigious stands being made available for expositions.

I would also like to call on our partner Ministries (Ministry of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Ministry of Secondary Education, Ministry of Basic Education, Ministry of Forests and Wildlife, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Youth and Civic Education, Ministry of Housing and Urban development, etc) to join us in October so that the visions of the Head of State in the digital space can be further materialised.

I am also very honoured to call on our enabling partners (ANTIC, Agency for the Promotion of Investments, SUPP’TIC, CAMPOST, Afrikland First Bank, NFC Bank, ICT University, etc) to be part of us to in October, to take up stands and showcase the pride and beauty of our country.

To our International Cooperation Partners (UNIDO, UNESCO, UNDP, The ITU, the British High Commission, etc) we have reserved a special place for you all in October.

Que la fête soit belle et très belle d’ici octobre.
Pour que Vive la coopération entre le Cameroun et le CTO
Et que Vive le Cameroun et son illustre Chef le Président Paul Biya
Thank your for your kind attention

Lire aussi

Préparation du 61e conseil du CTO par l’ART : Bernadette Lewis en visite de travail au Cameroun