Conspiracies of Skills Transfer and Local Development in Cameroon: A Social Reality in Question

Debates on the transfer of powers from central to local government are raging in Cameroon. Historically, since 1884, when Cameroon was under German protectorate. The transfer of power was a reality, notably through the division of the country into administrative districts. Following the German defeat at the end of the First World War in 1916, Cameroon was placed under a Franco-British mandate under the coordination of the League of Nations (SDN). In the British region of Cameroon, particularly in North-West and South-West regions, the administrative system was based on the principle of “indirect rule†which consisted for the British administration in integrating local administration into the management of affairs. public; and in the French-speaking part, the administrative system was based on the principle of “Direct rule†, that is to say the hierarchy of administration from top to bottom with the intermediary of the agents of this system. Thus, these two systems have the common denominator in Cameroon of bringing the administration closer to local populations. It was through this hierarchical structure that decrees, laws and the first texts on decentralization were issued. Decentralization in Cameroon, through the transfer of powers to decentralized local authorities, offers greater participation by the population as a whole in the management of local affairs, and in the efficient, participatory development of local authorities. Beyond this appreciable aspect, it also encourages closer ties between administrators and citizens. Despite this qualification, we have to admit that the long-awaited skills are still languishing at, beside our administrations, particularly those in charge of deploying them in good and due form to the CTDs to help our communities take off.