From the highest levels of government to the smallest local offices, corruption has long been described as the country’s “elephant in the room” too large to ignore, yet consistently left unresolved. The costs are staggering: wasted public resources, weakened institutions, and citizens losing trust in the state. For candidates vying for the presidency, governance and integrity will be a decisive test.
Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranked Cameroon 140th out of 180 countries, with a score of 26/100. While marginally higher than the country’s 2022 ranking, the overall picture shows little real improvement. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the lowest-scoring region globally, with an average of just 33/100.
Other measures tell a similar story. The World Bank’s rating on transparency, accountability, and control of corruption in the public sector places Cameroon at 3/6 which is a middling score that reflects the entrenched challenges. Meanwhile, the World Economics Governance Index gave Cameroon an overall rating of 27.2/100 in 2024, categorising the country among Africa’s worst-governed states.
The numbers reveal not just perception but impact. According to Cameroon’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC), corruption cost the country more than ₣114 billion CFA (about US $184 million) in 2023 alone. That represents classrooms not built, hospitals left unstaffed, and roads unpaved.
High-profile scandals illustrate how deeply corruption is woven into economic life. In 2022, Swiss commodity giant Glencore pleaded guilty to paying more than ₣7 billion CFA (around US $11 million) in bribes to officials of Cameroon’s state oil company, SNH, to secure preferential access to the country’s oil. As of 2024, some implicated SNH managers are due to face trial in the United Kingdom.
For many Cameroonians, such cases confirm a long-held suspicion: impunity remains the greatest fuel for corruption.
The problem is not a lack of laws. Article 66 of Cameroon’s Constitution requires senior public officials to declare their assets, yet successive governments have failed to enforce this measure. Civil society organisations such as Transparency International Cameroon repeatedly argue that meaningful reform begins with political will.
“Exemplarité has not prevented high-profile cases from happening,” Transparency International Cameroon’s president remarked recently, citing scandals from the Glencore affair to inflated budgets for major events such as the Africa Cup of Nations.
The failure to enforce accountability feeds a culture in which corruption is normalised, public trust eroded, and the legitimacy of institutions weakened.
Beyond financial losses, corruption has wider consequences. It discourages foreign investment, distorts public spending, and denies citizens access to the services they are promised. The US Department of State’s 2022 Investment Climate Statement notes that corruption and weak governance continue to hamper Cameroon’s business environment, limiting the benefits of otherwise promising opportunities.
Without strong governance, even well-designed national development strategies risk being undermined. International partners, including the IMF, have tied financial support to governance reforms, but progress remains slow.
As the presidential race gathers pace, Cameroonians are unlikely to be swayed by empty rhetoric on corruption. Citizens want concrete answers to the following:
- Will candidates enforce Article 66 and make asset declaration mandatory for senior officials?
- What measures will ensure accountability in scandals such as Glencore, Covid-gate, or inflated infrastructure contracts?
- How will the fight against corruption be institutionalised with independent anti-corruption bodies, strong whistleblower protections, and real prosecution?
- What role will transparency play in budget management, procurement, and local governance?
- How will candidates restore trust between the people and the state?
For decades, corruption has been the constant shadow on Cameroon’s development story. Yet the 2025 election offers a moment to redefine governance not as a slogan but as a system that works.
The question remains: will the next president have the courage to confront the elephant in the room?
🟦 Five Key Governance Questions Voters Should Ask
- Asset Declarations: Will the next president enforce Article 66 and require senior officials to declare their assets?
- Accountability: How will scandals such as Glencore and inflated public contracts be prosecuted and prevented?
- Independent Oversight: What steps will ensure that anti-corruption bodies are free from political control?
- Transparency: How will procurement, budget spending, and local governance be made open to public scrutiny?
- Trust in Institutions: What reforms will restore citizens’ confidence that government serves the people rather than private interests?
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom
Email: hilltopvoicesnewspaper@gmail.com
Tel: 6 94 71 85 77
Bakah Derick is an award-winning Cameroonian journalist and mediapreneur, serving as Vice President in charge of International Relations at the Cameroon Journalists’ Trade Union and leading Hilltopvoices Communications Group Ltd to amplify community voices and governance issues. With nearly 20 years in the field, his impactful reporting spanning human rights, environmental protection, inclusive development, and sports has earned him prestigious honors such as the 2024 VIIMMA Humanitarian Reporter of the Year and more. Email: debakah2004@gmail.com Tel: +237 675 460 750