Presentation during the 14th Association of African Universities (AAU) Conference and African Open Science Platform (AOSP)/Research Data Alliance (RDA) Workshop in Accra, Ghana, 7-8 June 2017.

1. OPEN DATA IN AFRICA:
CASE STUDY OF
CAMEROON
Pierrette ESSAMA MEKONGO, Ph.D.,
Intellectual Property Management Expert
Senior Lecturer in Law,
Publications Officer,
University of Yaounde 2,
essamapierrette@yahoo.com

2. CONTENTS
• Cameroon’s Research Landscape
• Open Science/Open Data Policy
• Open Science/Open Data infrastructure
• Open Science/Open Data Capacity building
• Open Science/Open Data Incentives
that will account for any progress made, needs
experienced and future expectations
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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3. Presentation of Cameroon
• Central African country
• Capital: Yaoundé
• Member of UN, AU, ECCAS and CEMAC
• 22 million inhabitants
• Two official languages: English and French
• Unitary State
• 10 regions : 2 English Speaking and 8 French
speaking
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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4. African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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5. Before we begin,
Cameroon’s research landscape - 1
Ministries in charge of research:
• The Ministry of Scientific Research and
Innovation
• The Ministry of Higher Education
• The Ministry of Public Health
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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6. Cameroon’s research landscape - 2
• Universities: 8 Public Universities
• University of Bamenda, Buea, Douala, Dschang,
Maroua, Ngaoundéré, Yaounde 1 and Yaounde 2
• Research institutions
• National Institute of Statistics (NIS)
• Agricultural Development Research Institute (IRAD)
• Chantal Biya International Research Centre (CIRCB)
• Biotechnology Centre (BTC) belonging to the
University of Yaounde 1
• Centre Pasteur du Cameroun
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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7. Open Science/Open Data Policy - 1
1) The state of the affairs
• There is still no specific policy as to open data
either at the national level (Ministries) or at public
universities or research institutions
• There is no such policy either at the National
Ethics committee however, rules require that data
and material sharing in collaborative research
projects be the subject of DSA/MTA in its 2012
Standard Operating Procedures for Research
Ethics Committees (RECs)
• The Chantal Biya International Centre also has a
DSA agreement template to be used for
collaborative research projects it carries out.
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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8. Open Science/Open Data Policy - 2
• The Ministry of Scientific Research and
Innovation
• The Ministry of Health and
• The National Institute of Statistics
are currently drafting some regulations relating
to open data or at least data sharing.
The Ministry of Health is concerned with data
sharing in collaborative research; and
The National Institute of Statistics is concerned
with making their data openly accessible.
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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9. Open Science/Open Data Policy - 2
2) Needs
• Need for Collaboration at the institutional level as
there are multiple research authorities/institutions
which are not taking joint action
• Need for a clear policy for open science/open data
stating the core principles
• Need for sound research policy including ethics,
privacy, and intellectual property issues in research
institutions at the national level
• Need for sound research management in institutions
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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10. Open Science/Open Data Infrastructure - 1
• 1) The state of the affairs
Case study of:
- the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) and
- the Ministry of Higher Education
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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11. Open Science/Open Data Infrastructure - 2
• The National Institute of Statistics (NIS):
• It has an internal data management
system and runs a website that is updated
with the results of surveys that they
conduct.
• http://www.statistics-cameroon.org/
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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12. Open Science/Open Data Infrastructure - 3
• The National Institute of Statistics built
some databases containing their research
data and metadata. These include:
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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13. Open Science/Open Data Infrastructure - 4
• -L’Archive Nationale des Données (ANADOC) : National Archive of data which allows
access to data and metadata held by the NIS from any surveys and censuses that it
conducts;
• -La base de données socioéconomique du Cameroun (CamSED) : (Cameroon’s socio-
economic database) that gives access to socio-economic indicators for the follow-up of
programmes such as the MDG and the National Strategic Document on Growth and
Employment
• -Page Nationale Récapitulative des Données (PNRD): (National Recapitulative Data
Page) that gives access to the main macroeconomic and financial data on the General
system of Ameliorated Data (SGDD-a).
• -Plateforme Open Data de l'Institut National de la Statistique: (National Institute of
Statistics Open Data Platform) that gives access to the main data generated by the NIS:
http://nso.cameroon.opendataforafrica.org/data
• -Messagerie professionnelle de l'INS : (NIS Professional Mailing System) that gives
access to the professional mailing system and is only available to NIS personnel.
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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14. Open Science/Open Data Infrastructure - 5
• There is an ongoing project at the Ministry of
Higher Education
• The Ministry is currently working to develop terms of
reference to build a central server with an interface for all
departments within the Ministry where databases on
higher education-related research data will be available on
various topics.
• It will be freely accessible to all staff of the Ministry but
there is, as of now, no provision for individual researchers.
• Yet, individual researchers may be allowed to access such
databases upon authorisation
• It is envisaged that universities may have access points to
such databases using passwords
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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15. Open Science/Open Data Infrastructure - 6
• 2) Needs
• Building sound databases and making them
accessible on servers/platforms – Repositories
• Making existing databases accessible. E.g. even
all of the national Institute of Statistics databases
are not available or complete or updated or in
the required format for their transferability and
reuse, etc…
• Designing and putting in place data security and
monitoring systems mechanisms
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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16. Open Science/Open Data
Capacity Building – 1
1) The state of the affairs
- The National Institute of Statistics has
people running its infrastructures but this is
not the case with all institutions.
- There is a capacity building component in
the Ministry of Higher Education‘s project
that will enable all users and potential users
to master the system along with the IT guys
supporting the project.
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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17. Open Science/Open Data
Capacity Building – 2
2) Needs
• It is thus self-evident that there is a huge
need for capacity building to get
dedicated qualified Open Science and
Open Data IT personnel in the various
institutions given that some do not have
IT guys at the moment.
• And then, capacity building for
infrastructure users
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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18. Open Science/Open Data
Capacity Building – 3
3) Future expectations
- AOSP/RDA assistance
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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19. Open Science/Open Data
Incentives - 1
• At the moment, looking at the state of
affairs, incentives are not discussed nor
agreed upon, and neither implemented.
• However, adhering and signing
inernational open science and open data
documents and principles would surely
bring those to the fore.
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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20. Open Science/Open Data
Incentives - 2
• Issues to be dealt with include:
• Institutional incentives
• Individual incentives
They may be financial or in kind as well as
reputational laying the ground for future
funding and other opportunities
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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21. THE FUTURE – 1
• Adoption of relevant regulations and policies
in the near future in ministries (Ministry of
Public Health and Ministry of Scientific
Research and Innovation) and research
institutions (National Institute of Statistics,
Chantal Biya International Research Centre
“CIRCB”)
• Creation of databases servers and platforms
(Ministry of Higher Education)
• Creation of an Open Data Administrative
Unit – whatever the form.
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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22. THE FUTURE - 2
Expectations are that AOSP/RDA/CODATA should
help in raising awareness and providing assistance for:
• Policy making;
• Capacity building; and
• In dealing with incentives in Cameroon.
This could be done through:
- one-to-one contacts with some Ministries and Public
universities and research institutions;
- Rectors and Vice-Chancellors network, Academy of
Science meetings; and
- in some researchers fora such as CARIMA’s National
Chapter meeting that I may surely help arrange.
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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23. Looking forward to making open science
and open data a reality in Cameroon and in
Africa for the benefit of Africa and the
world at large together with all of you,
Thank you for your attention!!!!
African Open Science Platform and
Research Data Alliance Workshop, AAU Gen
Con, Ghana, 5 -8 June 2017
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