World Bank wants to strengthen Cameroon’s digital infrastructure cybersecurity architecture

An Expression of Interest (EOI) announcement has been published by the World Bank seeking a contractor for a project that aims to strengthen the Cameroon government’s cybersecurity architecture.

Opened on July 29, interested candidates with expertise in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have up to August 12 at midnight, local time, to submit their EOI forms.

According to the notice, the firm to be eventually selected will carry out analyses and draft reports to help increase the capacity of the government and local stakeholders in assessing and managing cybersecurity risks for the country’s digital infrastructure.

In addition, these analyses and reports are also expected to help “improve the enabling environment for secure, trusted electronic transactions through improved regulatory framework for e-signature and implementation of a sustainable and scalable PKI architecture.”

The World Bank insists that those interested in participating in the bidding process must show proof of their competence through documented evidence. This must include information confirming that they are qualified, information about the firm’s technical and managerial capabilities, its core business operations and duration in business, as well as information on the qualification of its staff.

At the close of the EOI window in under two weeks, a shortlist of the best candidates will then be published for their bid files to be submitted.

The move by the Cameroon government to fortify its cybersecurity foundations is part of the country’s broader digital transformation plans. It specifically aligns with the Project to Accelerate Digital Transformation in Cameroon (PATNuC) which has the modernization of digital infrastructure and enhancement of digital trust as one of its core components. The initiative has the financial and technical accompaniment of a number of international development partners and donors.

Cameroon has a cybersecurity law enacted in December 2010, but digital rights advocates have since called for its revision to match the changes in the digital space such as the emergence of generative artificial intelligence.

The country is also yet to ratify the Malabo Convention, otherwise known as the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection – a legislation adopted by African Union member states in 2014. It outlines an eclectic legal framework for addressing several issues related to cybersecurity, personal data protection and cybercrime.

Article Topics

Africa  |  Cameroon  |  cybersecurity  |  digital identity  |  electronic-signature  |  tender  |  World Bank