Adoption of Mobile Phones for Data Collection for the 4th General Population and Housing Census of Cameroon: Motivations, Opportunities and Challenges

Teke Johnson Takwa, Central Bureau for the Census and Population Studies, Yaounde-Cameroon

Traditionally, data collection in Cameroon has been paper-based. This led to filling errors, delays in the release of results, need for large storage space for questionnaires and loss of information. Going digital met with many obstacles. There was need to master the method,look for soultions to the problems of low electricity and internet coverage and to get government acceptance of this novel method.The use of this method by some sub-Saharan African countries, the technical and financial support from UNFA and USAID facilitated its adoption for the 4th GPHC. Using this method during the cartographic and pilot phases has shown that it shortens the duration of data collection and the time lapse between the head count and release of results and improves upon data quality. There is need to improve upon digital data collection in Cameroon through improved internet and electricity coverage and better data collection applications Keywords: motivations, challenges, opportunities