At The Signal movie screening: Paradigm Initiative, Civic Watch spotlight cost of digital exclusion.

The event, organised under the theme: “Unpacking Cameroon LONDA 2025 Findings”, also featured the screening of The Signal, a short film on digital exclusion.

Organisers said the meeting was aimed at disseminating the main findings of the LONDA 2025 Cameroon report and encouraging open discussions on digital rights challenges. 

They added that it was also to identify possible policy and advocacy responses, while strengthening collaboration within Cameroon’s digital rights community.

It emerged from the screening that LONDA is a research initiative by Paradigm Initiative that tracks digital rights and inclusion across Africa, and documents national developments, emerging trends, policy gaps and experiences affecting access to and use of digital technologies.

Speaking shortly before the screening, the Executive Director of Civic Watch, Dr Ngala Desmond, said LONDA is a policy instrument documenting digital rights issue. 

Dr Ngala said individual online activities, including posts shared on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, could affect people within their communities.

“LONDA is not just a report; it is a methodical way of telling a story. We are calling it LONDA Pulse because it is meant to be a pulse. We need to challenge perspectives and make the space conducive not only for conversations, but also for data to thrive,” Dr Ngala said.

He thanked Paradigm Initiative for working with Civic Watch as a local partner, noting that the two organisations have collaborated in Cameroon for nearly five years.

Zoom on Cameroon LONDA report

The Cameroon chapter of the LONDA 2025 report identifies internet disruptions, poor network quality, concerns over personal-data protection and restrictions on online expression among the issues recorded during the year. 

The report states that mobile phone penetration reached 87 per cent in 2025, while internet penetration stood at 41.9 per cent. It estimates that Cameroon had more than 25 million connected devices and 12.87 million internet users.

It also notes that 4G and 5G coverage reached 64.72 per cent of the country. Cameroon ranked 30th out of 42 African countries in the report’s assessment of information and communication technology development. 

The report says Cameroon adopted a personal-data protection law in December 2024, but its application remained limited because members of the Personal Data Protection Authority had not been designated.

It recommends consultations on the country’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, an independent audit of technology markets and updated laws that reflect developments in information and communication technologies.

The event concluded with the screening of The Signal movie. The 30-minute short film follows Amina, a tech founder who develops a digital health application to connect remote communities with medical specialists. 

However, poor network coverage disrupts urgent medical guidance during a life-threatening emergency in her home region.

Speaking on the real-world impact of digital connectivity barriers in remote communities, the lead protagonist reflects: “I built something I thought was for everyone, but turns out I built it for places like Nairobi: fast, accessible, seen, not here. So, I have decided to start again; no fiber, no permissions, just us.”

According to Paradigm Initiative, the film showcases how inadequate infrastructure and network disruptions affect healthcare, emergency communication and access to digital services in marginalised communities.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3889 of Tuesday August 25, 2026