The National Institute of Statistics (INS) of Cameroon held its annual meeting of the heads of central and decentralized services on February 6 and 7, 2025 at its headquarters in Yaoundé. This major meeting, which brought together about a hundred participants, was structured around the theme: “The development prospects of the Cameroonian economy in the light of climate change: statistical issues and challenges”.
In his opening speech, the Director General of the INS highlighted the major achievements of the year 2024, including the first phase of the third General Business Census (RGE-3), the fifth Cameroon Household Survey (ECAM-5), and the third Survey on Employment and the Informal Sector (EESI-3). These large-scale statistical operations have made it possible to produce essential data for the management of public policies.
The meeting was structured around four main axes:
– The state of statistics on climate change
– Adaptation of the National Statistical Information System to new climate challenges
– Harmonization of environmental statistics with international standards
– Innovations in the 2025 Finance Act
This meeting is part of an international context marked by increased mobilization around climate issues, particularly after COP28 in Dubai and in preparation for COP30 in Belém. At the national level, it follows the adoption of new climate change adaptation policies and aligns with increasing environmental reporting requirements. The INS is also continuing its modernization with the deployment of computer-aided collection and the strengthening of cooperation with technical and financial partners, in particular through the Harmonization and Improvement of Statistics in West and Central Africa (HISWACA) project financed by the World Bank. The meeting made it possible to define strategic orientations to strengthen the capacity of the National Statistical Information System to produce reliable data on climate change, essential to inform policy decisions and measure progress in the implementation of Cameroon’s national and international commitments.