The staff of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development were briefed on 3 February 2023 in Yaounde on the challenges and opportunities of egalitarian bilingualism in the light of the law of 24 December 1019. This was during a workshop chaired by MINEPAT, Alamine Ousmane Mey, as part of the celebration of the National Day of Bilingualism.

Two major objectives were at the centre of the presentation and appropriation workshop of Law No.2019 / 019 of 24 December 2019 on the promotion of official languages in Cameroon (French and English): to intensify the sensitisation, popularisation and appropriation of the legal framework of bilingualism for MINEPAT officials and staff, and to intensify the effective practice of bilingualism at the individual and collective levels. For the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, the development of human capital, a major factor in the emergence of Cameroon, requires the dynamic development of the skills of human resources called upon to master the country’s two official languages, for greater efficiency as citizens and economic agents. A key factor in national and international competitiveness. At the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, the importance of bilingualism is experienced on a daily basis, as stated by Diane Virginie EDZOUGOU, Head of the Translation Unit (CELTRAD). She equally stated that, since 2018, the bilingualism train has picked up speed with the multiplication of frameworks for the promotion of both official languages. The “Language Brunch” known in French as «Café Linguistique» is one of the key instruments of this promotion, with a total of 185 sessions of practice and convivial learning of bilingualism, for what we know so far. Various testimonies from MINEPAT staff further reinforced the relevance of this concept, which is a real tool for promoting bilingualism within MINEPAT. In addition, other initiatives to promote bilingualism are the pride of MINEPAT: the deepening of official languages at the level of pilot centres, language immersion trips in the devolved services of MINEPAT, etc.
The workshop on bilingualism held on 3 February 2023 at MINEPAT, enabled reflections on two sub-themes: “Legal framework for the promotion and practice of Cameroon’s official languages: the outlines of Law No.2019 / 019 of 24 December 2019 on the promotion of official languages in Cameroon and other instruments relating to this issue” and “Egalitarian bilingualism: Challenges and opportunities for human capital in the light of the Emergence of Cameroon”. Reflections by various renowned Cameroon researchers, consultants, teachers and journalists.