Cameroon’s National Assembly May Revise Administrative Structure After Staff Audit

email facebook twitter Cameroon’s National Assembly may consider changes to its administrative structure under Speaker Théodore Datouo, who took office in March 2026 after 34 years of leadership by Cavaye Yéguié Djibril. Datouo has called a meeting of the Assembly’s governing bureau for Monday, October 12, at 11 a.m. in Yaoundé, with a possible review of the institution’s organizational structure among the subjects under discussion.

The meeting was announced in an October 8 notice signed by Secretary-General André-Noël Essian, but the document did not specify an agenda. According to officials contacted about the meeting, discussions may include a revision of the lower house’s organizational chart. No official announcement has been made about such a review, and no draft of a new organizational structure has been released. If the matter is discussed, it would follow administrative changes introduced since Datouo became National Assembly speaker on March 17, 2026, after Cavaye Yéguié Djibril’s 34-year tenure.

The National Assembly’s administration includes departments responsible for budget management and payroll, general administration, legislative and language affairs, and technical services. These departments operate under the authority of the governing bureau and the responsibility of the secretary-general. A reorganization may change how responsibilities are divided among departments and services, although the nature and scope of any proposed changes remain unknown.

The possibility of an administrative overhaul comes just weeks after the Assembly conducted a physical staff census from September 10 to 23, 2026. Announced by the secretary-general’s office on September 9, the exercise covered all employees, regardless of employment status, position, or assignment. Its stated purpose was to verify staffing levels, update administrative records, and establish a personnel database that accurately reflects the institution’s workforce.

The census took place amid questions about recruitment practices under the previous leadership. However, the documents reviewed do not establish its findings, including how many employees were physically verified, whether any irregularities were identified, or what impact the exercise may have on the Assembly’s payroll costs.

The Senate Has Also Begun an Administrative Reorganization

The possible review at the National Assembly comes after Cameroon’s Senate launched a similar initiative. In July 2026, the upper chamber’s governing bureau, chaired by Aboubakary Abdoulaye, announced plans to develop a new organizational structure for its general secretariat.

Following the discussions, Senate Vice President Robert Nkili described the proposed reorganization as a way to review how administrative departments operate. Working conditions, career advancement, and the resolution of outstanding administrative matters were also among the issues examined. There is, however, an important distinction between the two initiatives. While the Senate has officially announced its administrative reform plans, the National Assembly has yet to confirm whether a review of its organizational structure is on the agenda for the October 12 meeting.

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