Douala partners with Huawei to fast-track its smart city ambitions 🇨🇲 🏙️

Cliquez ici pour lire en français

The agreement signed on April 28 between Huawei and the Douala City Council marks a major turning point in the digital transformation of Cameroon’s economic capital. At the heart of the partnership is a clear ambition: improving public services while addressing the growing challenges created by the city’s rapid urban expansion.

What will concretely change for Douala residents 🛠️

The era of unclear land ownership records could soon come to an end. One of the flagship projects of the agreement is the digitization of 200,000 land records, alongside the introduction of a digital certificate system. The goal is to reduce fraud risks and limit disputes linked to real estate and financial transactions. For many residents, the issue is deeply personal.

“Where has this program been all this time? I had a land dispute for 25 years to the point where I finally gave up,” says Papa Laurent, a resident of Makepe.

For younger generations, however, the initiative brings hope. “For us, the new generation, maybe we won’t have to go through the same difficulties our parents faced with land disputes,” explains Romuald, a young resident of Bonabérie Château.

A safer and more monitored city 📷

Surveillance cameras, already installed in several neighborhoods across the city, will be reinforced through new deployments. The expanded security network is part of a broader vision for urban safety and smarter city management.

“It was a climate of fear here in Douala during the post-election period. We hope this new technological deployment will strengthen security,” says Mrs. Pokam.

Traffic management in the spotlight 🚦

To tackle Douala’s chronic traffic congestion, the city plans to deploy intelligent traffic management systems designed to optimize circulation and improve everyday mobility.

One young taxi driver welcomed the idea enthusiastically: “If technology can help improve traffic flow, that would be a good thing. We drivers sometimes feel like motorcycle taxi riders earn more than us whenever there are traffic jams.”

Fiber optics and smart public lighting 💡

The city council will also benefit from a dedicated fiber-optic network. At the same time, Huawei says it will train Cameroonian technicians capable of remotely managing public lighting systems through a structured training program.

The initiative highlights a broader focus on local skills transfer and the development of technical expertise within Cameroon.

The “Safe City” strategy at the core of the project 🌐

Huawei plans to implement these ambitions under its “Safe City” program. Already deployed in more than 100 cities across around 30 countries, the technology-driven framework aims to improve urban management through connected infrastructure and digital tools.

Douala could therefore join a growing network of African and global cities investing in smarter and more sustainable urban modernization.

Still, key questions remain: will local infrastructure, data governance frameworks and long-term technical maintenance be strong enough to support ambitions of this scale?

Do you think Douala is truly ready for a digital transformation program of this magnitude ? Tell us in comments