National Institute of Statistics to boost climate change fight with reliable data.

It was held under the theme: “The development prospects of the Cameroonian economy in light of climate change: statistical challenges and issues”.

The meeting, according to NIS, “aligned with both international commitments, particularly following COP28 in Dubai and in preparation for COP30 in Brazil, and national priorities as outlined in the National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (SDN30)”.

It was aimed at strengthening NIS’ capacity to produce reliable environmental and climate change data to inform policy decisions and measure progress in addressing climate change challenges.

The general objective of the meeting was to “examine in depth the challenges and opportunities related to statistical production in the context of climate change and its impact on the Cameroonian economy”.

It also aimed to provide NIS staff with the necessary tools to strengthen the capacities of the National Statistical Information System, NSIS, and to respond to growing demands for environmental and climate data.

Meanwhile, specific objectives were to establish an overview of statistical production related to climate change, analyse the adaptation of the NSIS to new climate challenges, examine the harmonisation of environmental statistics with international standards and present the innovations of the 2025 finance law.

While opening the meeting on February 6, the Director General of NIS, Joseph Tedou, quoted the Head of State, President Paul Biya, in his address to the nation on December 31, 2024, who emphasised on the economy's remarkable resilience in the face of multiple exogenous shocks. 

He said President Biya’s positive assessment “is largely based on the quality and reliability of the statistical data we produce, thus enabling an objective evaluation of our economy's performance”.

NIS living up to its mission

Joseph Tedou noted that NIS has not failed in its mission to support government action, stating that 2024 was particularly rich in achievements for NIS.

“We maintained our regular production of national accounts and essential economic indicators for steering the economy. The consumer price indices, industrial production indices, economic and financial studies, economic outlook reports, and foreign trade statistics were produced and disseminated, enabling decision-makers to have reliable information for monitoring inflation and economic activity,” Tedou disclosed.

He said further that NIS successfully completed the first phase of the third General Census of Enterprises, RGE-3, while the fifth Cameroon Household Survey, ECAM-5, produced a new poverty map, and the third Survey on Employment and the Informal Sector, EESI-3, also provided valuable data on the labour market and informal economy.

Joseph Tedou said NIS made significant progress in modernising its data collection and processing tools. 

“The digitalisation of our processes has continued, notably with the deployment of computer-assisted collection in several of our statistical operations,” he stated.

He stated that cooperation with technical and financial partners, particularly the World Bank, has been considerably strengthened. 

“The West and Central Africa Statistics Development Project, HISWACA, funded by the World Bank, has entered its operational phase. This structuring project will modernise the Cameroonian statistical information system and align it with international best practices,” Tedou noted.

Climate change as one of major challenges of country

Speaking on the theme of the meeting that focused on climate change, Tedou said it aligns perfectly with national and international priorities. 

“This choice is not coincidental. It echoes the concerns expressed by the Head of State regarding the growing impact of climate change on our country, as evidenced by recent natural disasters affecting several regions,” he said.

He stated that: “The climate issue represents one of the major challenges for our country today, with significant repercussions on our economic and social development. The manifestations of climate change are felt through various disruptions: irregular rainfall affecting agriculture, rising temperatures influencing ecosystems, and intensification of extreme weather events threatening infrastructure and populations”.

“Faced with these challenges, the role of NIS is crucial. As coordinator of the National Statistical Information System, we must be able to provide reliable and relevant data to: Inform policy decisions regarding climate change adaptation; measure progress in implementing national and international commitments; and evaluate the impact of environmental policies on our economy,” he said.

The meeting was structured around four major sub-themes viz “current state and challenges of statistical production on climate change”, “adaptation of the National Statistical Information System to Cameroon’s new economic challenges”, “alignment with international standards for integrating climate change indicators in NSIS surveys and censuses: financing and sharing best practices”, and “innovations related to the 2025 Circular and Finance Law”. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3363 of Wednesday February 12, 2025