CAMTEL, visiting Nigerian military delegation exchange notes on tackling security threats.

Using its expertise and know-how in the telecoms sector to assist security agencies combat growing insecurity in Cameroon and its neighbours, was at the centre of discussions, last Thursday, when a visiting Nigerian army delegation came knocking.

The delegation of senior leadership and staff officers from the Nigerian Army College of Logistics & Management, was led by the Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies of the college, Brigadier General JIB Manjang.

They were received by the Technical Adviser No:1 at CAMTEL, Francis Ottou, who represented the General Manager of the state corporation, Judith Yah Sunday epse Achidi.

The visiting Nigerian delegation also included the Rear Admiral and Military Attaché at the Nigerian High Commission to Cameroon.

When Francis Ottou took to the rostrum during the gathering, he first thanked Nigerians for considering CAMTEL as a point of contact in the course of their study trip to Cameroon.

He said the study mission, under the aegis of Cameroon’s Ministry of Defence, was proof of the confidence placed in CAMTEL as a strategic partner in the preparation of future military leaders, “a responsibility we take seriously and with dedication”.

The representative of the General Manager stated that last Thursday’s visit by the Nigerians spoke volumes of the growing security challenges the two nations are facing. 

He said in a world of rapidly changing geopolitics and increasingly complex threats, the need for close collaboration between key sectors, such as defence and telecommunications, has never been more pressing. 

The visit, he continued, was part of the drive to strengthen skills and share knowledge between the two countries- historic allies that have overcome shared crises in the past and worked towards lasting regional stability.

“We are evolving in an environment where war and security are no longer limited to traditional battlefields. Cyberspace is now a new front. On the other hand, cybercrime represents a global threat that can destabilise entire states,” Ottou told the visitors, before explaining that CAMTEL, being the pillar of telecommunications in Cameroon, plays a central role in the new invisible war. 

He noted that: “We are committed to securing our infrastructure and protecting data, aware that every flaw in our network can become a tool in the hands of opposing forces. In this respect, I am convinced that the sharing of expertise with your armed forces will enable us to better anticipate and more effectively manage looming threats”.

Ottou boasted that CAMTEL is not only a key player in the digital economy, but also a vector of resilience for the country’s citizens. 

He said the state-run company has undertaken a profound transformation, marked by bold structural reforms, with the goal of consolidating their position as the undisputed leader in telecommunications sector in Cameroon and in the Central Africa Sub-region. 

He said the mission of the company does not stop at providing access to telecommunications services but extends to creating innovative solutions to guarantee the security and digital sovereignty of the nation.

“CAMTEL is on the front line of this battle as every network operator, every engineer, every technician is a soldier in this struggle to protect our digital sovereignty,” he added. 

Enter head of delegation

Taking the cue at last Thursday’s visit, the Deputy Commandant and Director of studies of the Nigerian Army College of Logistics & Management, Brigadier General JIB Manjang, who headed the delegation of 29 trainees, said they were in Cameroon to share knowledge with CAMTEL and seek common grounds on issues of common interests between both countries.

The senior uniform officer said Cameroon and Nigeria have come a long way. 

He was blunt that: “In fact, we are more of brothers than countries that are separated by boundaries. We have a lot of cooperations in different areas…we have also had and are still having challenges that are common to both countries. Therefore, it becomes necessary that if we are to address the challenges that we are having…we have to strengthen the relationship that we have”.

One of the major challenges faced by both countries, he said, is in the area of insecurity. 

“In the past and up till now, we have collaborated to tackle insecurity issues, especially in the Northeastern part of Nigeria and the extreme Northern part of Cameroon and similarly in the South-South part of Nigeria and Southwestern part of Cameroon,” he disclosed, before noting that: “One of the things that give the actors of insecurity the leverage to do what they do is ICT and this is where CAMTEL comes in”.

He said the cyber space has become another domain of warfare. 

Describing CAMTEL as experts in the domain, the Army General said: “If at all we have the facilities and capacities of fighting in that domain, it is also true that the insurgents are also having that domain available to them to fight. So, it behooves on us to see how we can put our heads together and synergise to fight them”.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3231 of Monday September 16, 2024