If it does not gather dust in drawers like other similar plans, this plan is the roadmap that will transform Yaoundé, Douala, Bafoussam, Garoua, and all Cameroonian cities into more inclusive, connected, and sustainable cities.
Officially launched on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development – Minhdu, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications – Minpostel, and UN-Habitat, the National Action Plan for the Development of Smart Cities is now official. It is based on 3 major pillars presented as strategic axes.
Read more KOAFEC: AI at the center of the new Korea-Africa pact
First, technology serving urban management. The idea is to use digital tools to solve everyday problems: traffic management, waste collection, intelligent public lighting, neighborhood security, digitalization of municipal services. No more endless lines at city hall for a birth certificate.
Next, innovation and social inclusion. The Plan aims to leave no one behind. It provides connected services accessible to the population, support for local startups and digital SMEs, and the involvement of universities such as the National Advanced Polytechnic School Yaoundé I to create Cameroonian solutions to Cameroonian problems.
Finally, modernized governance. This is the core of the system. It is about giving real tools to Decentralized Territorial Collectivities (CTD). City halls and regions will no longer be mere spectators. They become the main actors of the transformation, with a clear intervention framework and dedicated funding.
Read more Cameroon/ Kamto’s Resignation: the UDC Sets the Political Game Straight
This plan comes into play at a time when Cameroon is facing accelerated and often chaotic urbanization. Cities are suffocating due to traffic jams, floods, insecurity, and youth unemployment. This Plan arrives as a direct response to the climate challenge to make cities more resilient to floods and heat through data and sensors. To the socio-economic challenge by creating jobs in digital technology and making cities more attractive to investors. To the decentralization challenge by giving city halls the technological and financial means to manage their territories.
For the implementation of the plan in the infrastructure component, Cameroon relies on operators Orange, MTN, CAMTEL; on FEICOM for municipal financing; and on ANTIC for digital regulation. UNDP, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the European Union are partners who will support the implementation of the plan.
Read more University of Dschang: Green hydrogen at the heart of a conference on energy sovereignty
