AI regulation in Cameroon (2026)

The SNIA was adopted at CONIA 2025 (July 7–8, Yaoundé) under MINPOSTEL. It sets a 2040 vision structured around seven pillars: governance/digital sovereignty, data infrastructure, multilingual AI, sovereign infrastructure, human capital, sectoral innovation, and international cooperation. It targets 12,000 direct jobs and a 0.8–1.2% GDP contribution by 2040.

Pillar 1 of the SNIA commits the government to establishing a dedicated AI Authority, a Presidential Council on AI, and drafting a framework law on AI ethics and inter-ministerial coordination. As of mid-2026 these remain announced intentions without enacted legislation.

Cameroon's first comprehensive data protection law was signed on 23 December 2024. It governs automated processing of personal data but contains no specific provisions on AI systems, automated decision-making, or algorithmic accountability, leaving a regulatory gap relevant to AI.

Three 2010 laws form the broader digital regulatory backdrop: Law No. 2010/013 (electronic communications), Law No. 2010/012 (cybersecurity and cybercrime), and Law No. 2010/021 (electronic commerce). None address AI specifically.

A key SNIA deliverable is 'GPT Cameroon,' a sovereign large language model supporting national and local languages. The strategy also targets training 4,000 AI professionals annually and 60,000 by 2040, with women comprising 40% of the trained workforce.

Cameroon has not enacted any sector-specific AI rules (e.g., for finance, health, or biometrics) nor legislated bans on specific AI applications such as real-time biometric surveillance. All governance measures remain at the strategy and planning stage.