Regions : Human Resources Challenge

Regions as local authorities started becoming operational since the election of the first regional councillors on December 6, 2020 and the election of the bureau members of the different Regional Councils and Regional Assemblies from December 22, 2020.  In all of 2021, efforts were made to effectively implant the regions through the putting in place of the various structures and training of officials for optimal functioning. 
Then, President Paul Biya with the intention of making the regions play their local development mission in an optimal manner, signed Decree No. 2021/742 of 28 December 2021 to lay down the standard organisation of Regional Administration. Other decrees signed the same day relate to the exercise of some powers devolved by the State to the Regions in domains such as town planning and housing, participation in the organisation and management of public interurban transport, tourism and leisure, and environmental protection.
The standard organisation of Regional administration in itself requires many personnel who in most of the cases have to be highly specialised. The Secretaries General of the various Regions had already been appointed and are working. Equally, the Ministers of Decentralisation and Local Development and Finance had earlier in a joint order appointed Finance Controllers and Regional Revenue Officers for each of the 10 Regions.  However, the Regions need personnel and officials for optimal functioning. Indeed, the decree states the entities to be attached to the Secretariat General of the Region that include: Administrative and Legal Affairs Unit; Information Systems Unit; Communication and Public Relations Unit, and the Mail, Documentation and Records Service. Technical entities of Regional Administration placed under the authority of the Secretary General are the Department of Economic and Social Development, Infrastructure and Regional Planning Division and Department of General Affairs. Each department is composed of sub-departm...