Cameroon’s Efforts to Guarantee Legal Identity for All Children

Garoua and Tiko, Cameroon – A year ago, Oumarou Sanda, mayor of Garoua 2 in northern Cameroon, celebrated a significant milestone when his municipality was recognized as Cameroon’s Citizenship Champion for its birth registration initiatives.

This accolade, part of a UNICEF-led program partnered with the Cameroonian government, underscored months of dedicated efforts to bridge a critical gap in child protection: the lack of formal identification for many children.

Cameroon’s civil status law mandates free birth registration within 90 days, though delays often force families into costly, lengthy court procedures after a year. These obstacles leave many children without legal documentation.

Aissatou Bouba, a mother of four in Garoua 2, faced this reality when her eldest child was barred from school due to missing papers. Her youngest child’s birth certificate was secured in 2024 at a health facility, highlighting shifts in local practices.

Data reveals a stark reality: over 1.5 million children—nearly 30% of primary school pupils—lack birth certificates. Without documentation, children face barriers to education, national identity cards, and public exams, as warned by Tiko civil status bureau head Anna Enanga.

“Without a birth certificate, a child cannot access secondary school, sit exams, or obtain a national ID,” Enanga emphasized. Such gaps also heighten exploitation risks, especially in conflict zones.

UNICEF reports that only 43.77% of the 560,000 births in health facilities last year were registered. This systemic shortfall jeopardizes children’s safety, mobility, and education, noted UNICEF specialist Alexis Mayang.

Collaborative efforts gained urgency after the 2024 Mayors’ Forum on Birth Registration, where officials pledged to overhaul civil registration. UNICEF’s “My Name” campaign has since identified and registered 17,000 unregistered children nationwide.

Municipalities like Tiko deployed mobile registration teams and engaged traditional leaders to reach remote areas. Garoua 2 embraced digital systems to replace slow handwritten records, enabling instant certificate issuance.

Persistent Challenges

Despite progress, gaps endure. Many parents remain unaware of registration deadlines, often only seeking documentation when schools deny access. Rural communities also grapple with harmful gender norms that dismiss girls’ rights to formal status.

Traditional leaders are increasingly involved in awareness campaigns, urging early registration to prevent early marriages and undocumented childhoods. Yet systemic issues persist, demanding broader cultural and administrative shifts.

“Having my son’s certificate eased his school enrollment,” Bouba remarked. Officials stress that closing Cameroon’s 166 million global unregistered children gap requires sustained collaboration between institutions and communities.

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