Artificial Intelligence: PM Dion Ngute to open second national consultations in Yaounde today.

According to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the national consultations on AI are held with the aim of developing a government policy to promote the effective use of AI in Cameroon with the main target being the subsequent adoption of Cameroon’s first National Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence.

The second edition is organised under the theme: “Promoting an inclusive and sustainable digital economy by adopting artificial intelligence for an emerging Cameroon”.

The programme will be punctuated by a series of workshops and other exercises, bringing together national and international stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, experts and other professionals.

Per the official programme of the activity, the workshops will, among others, focus on digital infrastructure, data and connectivity, talent, skills and research, the role of international cooperation in the sphere of competitiveness in the age of the AI and generative AI in key sectors. 

Themes like trust, security and the regulation of AI and the financing of the African vision of AI will also be addressed during the exercise.

The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Libom Li Likeng, will lead interventions during the opening panel discussion, which will be moderated by the Vice Chancellor of the ICT University, Prof Jean-Emmanuel Pondi. 

The consultations are expected to build on the recommendations that were adopted at the close of the first national consultations which initiated what Minister Libom Li Likeng described as a cross-sectoral dialogue on the policies, risks and opportunities associated with AI.

The inaugural consultations had prescribed steps to be taken in notably drawing up a strategy for the development of Artificial Intelligence in Cameroon, the setting up of a national coordinating body with strong leadership and for moves to be made to review and improve legislation and for regulations to take account of the introduction of innovative technologies like AI.

Second consultations a crucial turning point

Speaking during a press dinner organised by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in Yaounde last Thursday, in the leadup to this week’s event, Minister Libom Li Likeng said the second consultations will be a crucial turning point in larger efforts to shape Cameroon’s future with AI.

She said the gathering will open doors for strides to be made in moving “away from the logic of scattered initiatives, align public and private efforts, ensure sovereign and responsible ownership of AI and above all, put our country on the map of African nations that are fully participating in the global technological revolution”.

“There is no doubt today that Artificial Intelligence represents a unique opportunity for our societies to speed up socio-economic development, as it has the potential to significantly transform various sectors by optimising processes, improving efficiency and creating new job opportunities,” the member of government said.

She insisted on the need for gatherings like the two-day consultations to facilitate the putting in place of regulatory frameworks to ensure the effective use of the tool. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3496 of Monday July 07, 2025