Some 21,000 candidates have submitted applications online for enumerator and supervisory positions in the framework of the fourth population and housing census as well as the general agriculture and livestock census. The figure was recently disclosed by Hervé Joël Efon, head of the mapping unit at the Central Bureau for Censuses and Population Studies (Bucrep) while speaking on the national radio CRTV, earlier today. 

For the censuses, the Bucrep seeks 32,059 agents –24,000 enumerators who will be supervised by 7,881 team leaders– with the deadline for applications set for September 15th, three days from now.  Nevertheless, Hervé Joël Efon is confident the number of enumerators sought would be filled.  "We think that candidates will [massively] apply in the last three days. We have often noticed that they [usually] wait until the deadline is close before submitting applications in large numbers,” he said. 

The census is scheduled for November and December 2023 throughout Cameroon. According to Hervé Joël Efon, strategies are in place to cover regions facing security crises, particularly the North-West and the South-West where a separatist crisis has been ongoing since 2017. 

As a reminder, applicants for these positions (enumerators and supervisors) must be of Cameroonian origin, aged between 18 and 40, and above all speak one of the local languages of the census area. Cameroon carried out its last population census in 2005. At the time, it recorded a population of over 17 million people. Nevertheless, according to UN estimates, its population is now 28 million. 

L.A.