At Digital Days Festival in Ebolowa: MTN, MINPOSTEL drill youth on responsible use of digital platforms.

This was during the Digital Days Festival, which held in Ebolowa on August 29 and 30, under the theme: “Youth and Digital: How to Create, Innovate, Dare?” The gathering brought together over 300 teenagers and young adults from Mvila Division of the South Region. The event was presided by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng. Also present was senior officials from MTN Cameroon as well as the Governor of the South Region, Felix Nguele Nguele, and other administrative authorities.

The move, according to organisers from MTN Cameroon, was a way for them to step up their advocacy for a responsible use of digital tools by young people.

Speakers during the two-day event took turns to underline the risks that come with unguarded exposure online.

In her remarks, Minister Libom Li Likeng noted that the initiative falls within the National Digital Festival, a government strategy to instill digital citizenship in its youth, while boosting their contribution to the emerging digital economy.

“This event has provided a real platform for training, exchange, and action, enabling the youth of Mvila to better understand the opportunities offered by the digital world,” she said.

The aim of the festival, she stated, was to encourage young people in Mvila to engage in digital technology with a view to empowering them through ICT. “…The aim is to introduce young people to the opportunities for empowerment offered by digital technology, to strengthen their capacities in areas related to innovative technologies, and at the same time to promote digital patriotism,” she added.

These Days, she affirmed, are firmly in line with the path laid out by the Head of State, Paul Biya, who, in recent years, has continually encouraged young people to embrace digital technology and urged government to support initiatives in this sector.

For two days, participants, she said, were immersed in ICT empowerment strategies and techniques. 

“It introduced them to the use of artificial intelligence in order to spark their enthusiasm for the opportunities it offers, while developing their digital citizenship,” the minister stated. 

Commenting on the different sessions that the participants were schooled on, the minister note that the first training session focused on empowerment strategies using ICT and it was based on the development of micro-projects and online sales strategies. 

“The aim was to show them how to use existing applications to sell products, provide services, and manage micro-projects,” she said.

She went further to note that the second session focused on Artificial Intelligence in everyday life. 

The third session, she further detailed, was devoted to editing videos and visuals for social media which was aimed at helping young people create content or services capable of generating income through the direct production of professional-quality videos and visuals from their phones and by making them accessible to the general public. 

The fourth session was devoted to cybersecurity and digital citizenship.

“The aim here was to raise young people's awareness of the dangers of digital technology and provide them with tools to protect themselves, while reinforcing the notion of digital patriotism and the fight against disinformation, in order to promote social harmony,” the minister stated.

Enter MTN Cameroon representative

MTN Cameroon used the platform to remind participants of the dangers lurking on the web. 

Speaking during the session, the Senior Manager Corporate Affairs, Marie Germaine Ndzie, told the gathering that: “Going digital is an open door to the world, but it requires constant vigilance. Safety codes must be respected if one must progress while staying protected”.

Ndzie insisted that through MTN’s ‘Child Online’ programme, they have been able to support children and parents alike to ensure the digital space is used profitably and responsibly.

Participants hail initiative

Participants, at the end of the session, thanked MTN and its partners for the privilege and insights on the use of the various ICT tools and the responsible use of the internet to make money.

“I learned not to trust online appearances but to focus on educational and developmental platforms,” Christian Abolo, one of the participants, said.

Meanwhile, the best ICT students, especially young girls, were rewarded, while several schools in Mvila Division received ICT equipment which were aimed at strengthening local education infrastructure.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3553 of Wednesday September 03, 2025