from ROSY SADOU in Yaoundé, Cameroon
YAOUNDE – CAMEROON and Huawei, the technology firm, have laid the groundwork for a strong digital economy in the Central African country.

This comes after Cameroon President Paul Biya on Friday led an official delegation to Huawei’s Beijing campus in the Chinese capital.

Peng Song, President of Huawei Northern Africa, received the delegation.

This is in support of Digital Cameroon 2035, lauded as an incredibly important initiative.

It focuses on Cameroon’s growing importance as a digital player in the region.

“Digital Cameroon 2035 is an incredibly important initiative, and Huawei is 100 percent on board with the government’s strategic goals,” Song said.

The executive said they would work hard to bring better connectivity and more digital opportunities to Cameroon’s people and industries.

“Together, we will build out the country’s digital infrastructure and lay the foundation for a flourishing digital economy,” Somg added.

Biya ;lauded Huawei and Cameroon for fruitfully and productively working together.

“By visiting Huawei, I hope to express Cameroon’s willingness to continue this collaboration. May we keep working closely and produce fantastic results,” the president said.

Huawei first came to Cameroon in 2005.

Its Cameroon office has grown to more than 300 employees, of which 70 percent are Cameroonians.

In 2016, the company launched its Seeds for the Future programme, which sent 20 outstanding students from public universities to Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China, for two week’s training and knowledge transfer with experts.

Huawei has pledged to continue contributing to the development of Cameroon’s digital economy through the extension of the national backbone optical fibre network, the rural solar power scheme, safe city initiative and marine cable.

– Guardian