The digital transformation of local councils in the North West Region is on the spotlight this Wednesday 15 July 2026 as the National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC) opened a three-day capacity building seminar for mayors and IT administrators with a stark reminder that the region still lags behind in digital governance.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, ANTIC Director General Prof. Ebot Ebot Enaw revealed that only 17 of the 35 municipal councils in the North West Region have official websites, representing 48.6 per cent, while only 12 councils maintain Facebook pages, none of which has been officially verified, exposing them to identity theft and impersonation.
The statistics emphasized the urgency of the seminar held under the theme "local development in the era of digital transformation," bringing together municipal leaders to strengthen their capacity to integrate information and communication technologies into local governance.
"For local councils, embracing ICT is no longer an option but a necessity aimed at improving service delivery, promoting local development, enhancing transparency and fostering greater citizen participation," Prof. Ebot Ebot told participants.
He said ANTIC has already supported 230 municipal councils across Cameroon, representing 64 per cent of councils nationwide, through technical assistance and digital capacity building.
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The Director General warned that as councils increasingly digitise their operations, cybersecurity must become an integral part of governance.
"Securing our information systems must be considered as an indispensable and continuous process that must be integrated into the design and development of any IT system," he said while assuring councils that ANTIC remains committed to supporting the verification of their official social media pages and strengthening their digital presence.
The technical sessions began immediately after the opening ceremony with a presentation by Atem Arrey Mbi Emmanuel, Sub Director at ANTIC, who introduced participants to the agency's ICT reference guides developed to help public institutions adopt recognised digital best practices.
He explained that the guides cover cybersecurity, internet safety for children and parents, digital governance and organisational security, and are freely accessible through ANTIC's website. He encouraged councils to use them not only within their administrations but also during community awareness campaigns.
"We should not stay behind. Every institution is talking about digital transformation, so we also have to find ourselves in this journey and know how to use ICT safely," he said.
Atem Arrey also highlighted ANTIC's achievements since launching similar seminars in 2020, including the development of ICT Master Plans for several councils and regional authorities, and support for securing civil status registry platforms through the agency's Public Key Infrastructure.
The next presentation focused on the Importance of an ICT Master Plan, with Houda Oumaroudjam, Service Head at ANTIC, describing the document as the foundation of every successful digital transformation strategy.
She explained that an ICT Master Plan provides councils with a three to five-year roadmap for planning technology investments, budgeting projects, strengthening cybersecurity and improving service delivery.
"The ICT Master Plan is the essential tool for planning, prioritising and monitoring all ICT projects over three to five years," she said.
Houda reminded participants that the development of ICT Master Plans has been a national requirement since a 2011 Prime Ministerial directive. She stressed that successful implementation depends on the active involvement of mayors, council executives and every department within the council.
She further reassured participants that ANTIC provides technical expertise free of charge to councils seeking assistance.
"If you cannot develop the ICT Master Plan in-house, write to ANTIC. We will send experts to your council to help you develop your ICT Master Plan free of charge," she said, citing successful interventions in councils including Ebolowa, Bafoussam, Meiganga and Mfou.
Takwa Habib Palay, Service Head at ANTIC and a certified cybersecurity professional, in his presentation shifted attention to cybersecurity and challenged councils to rethink how they protect public information.
Beginning with a series of practical questions on password management, data recovery and access control, he urged participants to assess whether their councils could continue operating if critical records were lost or digital systems failed.
"Information is not static. Information is moving, and it has to be managed. If you don't manage it, you will mismanage it," he said.
Takwa Palay explained that a secure information system extends beyond computers and software to include organisational procedures, trained personnel, governance structures and clear responsibilities.
He warned that councils face increasing threats from cybercriminals targeting official websites and social media pages, power failures, malware attacks and data theft.
He advised councils to strengthen their digital resilience through secure passwords, firewalls, antivirus software, regular backups, documented procedures and continuous staff training, noting that a well-developed ICT Master Plan remains the foundation for building secure information systems.
The seminar, organised by ANTIC in partnership with the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development (MINDDEVEL), FEICOM, BUNEC and the Public Contracts Regulatory Agency (ARMP), continues until July 17 with additional sessions on civil status digitalisation, ICT project financing and change management.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web
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