• Far North, North, and Adamawa Prepare to Host Mega Innovation Week
• Community Stakeholders Express Excitement at CITS Visit

The Cameroon International Tech Summit (CITS) has announced its upcoming visit to the Northern Part of the country as part of its national tour preceding the grand tech event set to take place in September 2024. The tech-savvy travelers aim to embark on their most ambitious innovation week yet with a visit to Garoua, scheduled from March 24th to 29th, 2024. For the first time, the CITS team seeks to unite technology-driven enthusiasts, innovators, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders from the Far North, North, and Adamawa regions under one roof for the “Semaine De L’innovation Du Grand Nord,” to be hosted at the central nexus of the three regions in Garoua.

There is unwavering confidence that the Grand Nord Innovation Week will be an exceptional experience, given the organizers’ track record in North West and West Regions coupled up with their commitment to replicate the same impact there is evident. A significant change is the shift in the innovation week’s central theme which was initially centered around Agriculture to Education, a topic deeply significant to the beneficiaries in the north. It’s worth noting that the Cameroon International Tech Summit prioritizes each region’s needs, ensuring that stakeholders develop solutions tailored to address regional challenges.

Before the mega innovation week, the CITS media team engaged with community stakeholders who expressed their excitement as the innovation week approached. Touza Isaac, a community stakeholder and president of the Google Developer Group (GDG) in Garoua, emphasized the opportunities the innovation week presents for young individuals to showcase their technological skills and talents, fostering local development and international collaboration. He highlighted major challenges faced, including education, agriculture, energy, healthcare, and access to clean water. Isaac believes that if hackers can devise solutions to these problems, the CITS team can be proud of their impact in the region.

“As a key figure in the Grand Nord, I firmly believe that the Cameroon International Tech Summit will play a pivotal role in establishing a tech-centric community in my region. I anticipate that during the innovation week, we will promote collaboration, experience sharing, training, and emergence within our local tech ecosystems. CITS has the potential to expand our ecosystem, and we eagerly await their contribution,” Isaac said.

Touza Isaac, GDG President Garoua

The Grand Nord Innovation Week is set to accommodate over 20 teams for the hackathon and three times the number of stakeholders for the innovators’ meetup, pitch masterclasses, and Pitch Friday. Following the pattern in previous regions, the CITS team will utilize these days to energize the local economy and prepare participants for the mega summit.

Lea Rosine Djoussi, a soil ecologist and educator based in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon, expressed enthusiasm and readiness to welcome the CITS team to the Grand Nord. She noted the occasional feeling of exclusion from impactful projects and competitions, often perceived as more relevant to southern regions. Rosine highlighted key challenges in the North, including the education of young women and girls, gender-based violence, and early marriage. She urged visiting enthusiasts to devise innovative solutions to guide young innovators in building sustainable digital solutions, ultimately fostering inclusivity and progress in the Grand Nord.

“I’ve never lost faith in the potential of young innovators in my area, and I’m confident that the CITS team can help us cultivate a tech community here. As a leader, I am committed to actively contributing to the creation of a robust network between young tech innovators and dedicated educators passionate about entrepreneurship and problem-solving,” Rosine added

Lea Rosine, Educator/ Ecologist

The Grand Nord Innovation Week marks the third installment on the road to CITS. Feedback from previous innovation weeks indicates that the team not only makes promises but also fulfills them. The Grand North Innovation Week presents an opportunity for all tech enthusiasts in the region to showcase their talents and contribute to creating a unified technology ecosystem in the country. CITS project lead, Ayuk Etta, is expected to lend his voice to the preparations and excitement surrounding the organization ahead of the Grand Nord Innovation Week soon.