Stratégie Nationale d'Intelligence Artificielle (SNIA) du Cameroun (National Artificial Intelligence Strategy of Cameroon)

The Stratégie Nationale d'Intelligence Artificielle (SNIA) is Cameroon's national AI strategy, unveiled on 7 July 2025 by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications (MINPOSTEL), Minette Libom Li Likeng, at the second edition of the National Consultations on AI (Concertations nationales sur l'IA, 'CONIA'). It is a non-binding policy and roadmap, not enacted legislation: it sets a vision, governance proposals and quantified targets but does not itself impose binding legal obligations. Significantly, however, it expressly commits to preparing future binding law. The strategy carries a vision to 2040 and aims to make Cameroon a continental AI reference hub, prioritising sovereign, inclusive and sustainable solutions anchored in African cultural realities, including multilingual models incorporating national languages. Quantified objectives include training 60,000 AI talents (40% women), creating 12,000 direct jobs, having AI contribute 0.8 - 1.2% of GDP, and developing 12 high-impact sovereign AI solutions. The SNIA is built on seven interdependent pillars. Pillar 1 (governance and digital sovereignty) is the most consequential for AI governance: it proposes creating a Cameroonian AI Authority and a Presidential Council for AI, and drafting a framework law (loi-cadre) integrating ethical considerations and inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms. Pillar 2 (data and digital infrastructure) proposes a governmental Data Lake, mass digitisation of public services, interoperability standards and a targeted Open Data policy. Pillar 3 (multilingual, inclusive AI) envisages a local language model ('GPT Cameroun') and valorisation of national languages through linguistic research and voice-data collection. Pillar 4 (sovereign technological infrastructure) plans fifteen regional Edge Computing nodes powered by solar micro-grids. Pillar 5 (training, research and human capital) proposes five AI centres of excellence, 4,000 people trained per year, and a diaspora talent-return programme. Pillar 6 (innovation and sectoral use cases) targets start-up accelerators and AI adoption in health, agriculture, justice and education. Pillar 7 (cooperation and regional influence) proposes a Central Africa AI network and export of 'Made in Cameroon' solutions. The strategy responds to Cameroon's modest international standing (IMF AI Preparedness Index 2024 score 0.34/1). The dates recorded reflect the strategy's public presentation at CONIA on 7 July 2025, which is policy adoption rather than legislative enactment; the anticipated loi-cadre would be the binding follow-up. Drafting note: source materials are in French; this summary is in English.

1. 1Unveiled 7 July 2025 by MINPOSTEL at the 2nd National Consultations on AI (CONIA); vision to 2040 to make Cameroon a continental AI hub
2. 2Quantified targets: 60,000 talents trained (40% women), 12,000 direct jobs, AI to contribute 0.8 - 1.2% of GDP, 12 sovereign high-impact AI solutions
3. 3Pillar 1 (governance/sovereignty): proposes a Cameroonian AI Authority, a Presidential Council for AI, and a framework law (loi-cadre) covering ethics and inter-ministerial coordination
4. 4Pillar 2: governmental Data Lake, mass digitisation of public services, interoperability standards, Open Data policy
5. 5Pillars 3 - 4: multilingual 'GPT Cameroun' model and national-language valorisation; 15 regional Edge Computing nodes on solar micro-grids
6. 6Pillars 5 - 6: five AI centres of excellence, 4,000 trained/year, diaspora return programme; start-up accelerators and AI in health, agriculture, justice, education
7. 7Pillar 7: Central Africa AI network and export of 'Made in Cameroon' solutions
8. 8Non-binding strategy; binding loi-cadre anticipated as follow-up