Cameroon suspended from Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

By Eratus Ndueh

Cameroon has been suspended from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) program until its next validation. The EITI Board expressed strong concerns over breach of the EITI protocol which requires that civil society activists participate in the designing and implementation of policies in the country. The announcement was made on March 1, 2024.

According to reports, Cameroon has been recognized for its attempts to improve the availability of data on payments declared by extractive sector companies, including the national oil company and on revenues received by the relevant government entities. However, EITI’s international secretariat demands better involvement of the civil society in the process.

The institution’s analysis reveals Cameroon’s business dealings with Glencore, a company indicted for bribery in accessing oil and other mineral products in Cameroon and other countries.

In the analysis, Glencore admitted to have payed FCFA 7 billion as bribe to officials of the National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH) and National Refining Company (SONARA) to secure preferential access to oil between 2011 and 2016, as reported by Reuters.

Cameroon’s next validation by the EITI is scheduled for April 2027, and by that time, the country is expected to have taken corrective measures.