Camtel Champions Data Sovereignty at SAGO 2026

Camtel Champions Data Sovereignty at SAGO 2026.

By Gerald Ngeh. 

State telecom operator outlines strategy to keep Cameroonian data under national control; calls for stronger local hosting and infrastructure.

Cameroon Telecommunications, Camtel, presented its plan for digital sovereignty during the 2026 edition of the Salon de l’Action Gouvernementale, SAGO, in Yaounde. The state-owned operator said mastering data is now central to national security, economic independence, and the protection of citizens’ information.

Speaking at the event, Camtel GM Yah Sunday Judith epse Achidi argued that data generated in Cameroon should be stored, processed, and secured within the country. The company described data sovereignty as the ability of the state to control how national data is managed, who accesses it, and where it is hosted. Officials warned that reliance on foreign servers and cloud platforms creates risks of data leaks, service disruption, and loss of economic value.

Local Hosting and Infrastructure at the Core.

Camtel showcased its investments in national infrastructure as the foundation for sovereignty. The company operates the National Data Center in Zamengoe, near Yaounde, which hosts government platforms, banking applications, and private sector services. Camtel said the facility meets international standards for security, redundancy, and uptime, and is connected to its nationwide fiber optic backbone.

The operator also pointed to its management of landing stations for submarine cables SAT-3, WACS, and SAIL. These gateways give Cameroon direct access to global internet traffic. Camtel said controlling these entry points allows the country to set terms for transit, reduce latency for local content, and ensure that critical communications do not depend on third-party jurisdictions.

Economic and Security Arguments.

Camtel framed data sovereignty as both a security issue and an economic strategy. Hosting data locally keeps spending inside the country, creates jobs for engineers and technicians, and supports the growth of local cloud service providers. The company said that every gigabyte stored abroad represents lost revenue and diminished control.

On security, Camtel noted that national defense, public finance, health records, and identity systems must be shielded from extraterritorial laws. Local hosting ensures that Cameroonian data is subject to Cameroonian law and can be audited by national regulators. The company added that the Zamengoe Data Center is already used by several ministries and public agencies for sensitive applications.

Call for Policy and Private Sector Alignment.

During its presentation at SAGO, Camtel urged public institutions and private firms to prioritize national hosting solutions. The operator said it offers colocation, cloud services, and secure connectivity that meet the needs of banks, hospitals, universities, and startups. It called for stronger enforcement of data localization policies and incentives for companies that keep data within Cameroon.

Camtel also highlighted ongoing training programs for local ICT professionals. The goal is to build a pool of Cameroonian engineers capable of managing data centers, cybersecurity, and cloud platforms without relying on external expertise.

Part of Broader Digital Agenda.

The presentation aligns with the government’s digital transformation plan, which identifies infrastructure, digital identity, and e-government as priorities. SAGO 2026 brought together ministries, state corporations, and private operators to review progress on public policy commitments. Camtel used the platform to position itself as the technical arm of the state’s digital sovereignty agenda.

Officials said the next steps include expanding data center capacity, increasing peering with regional networks, and promoting local content caching to keep Cameroonian internet traffic within national borders. Camtel confirmed that discussions are underway with additional public and private entities to migrate services to the Zamengoe facility.

For Camtel, the message at SAGO was clear: mastering data is not optional. It is a condition for protecting sovereignty, supporting the digital economy, and ensuring that Cameroon’s digital future is decided in Cameroon.