UNICEF Concludes Its “My Name” Program by Awarding Prizes to Top Municipalities

Oumarou Sanda, Mayor of Garoua 2, proudly raised the national citizenship champion trophy high above his head, arms stretched toward the sky, as the crowd erupted in applause. Standing beside him, smiling, were Ms. Nadine Perrault, UNICEF Representative in Cameroon, and Mr. Georges Elanga Obam, Minister of Decentralization and Local Development.

As a reward for this achievement, Mr. Sanda received a check for 15 million CFA francs and a large symbolic key. This victory will enable the Northern Region to benefit from a multifunctional truck dedicated to facilitating birth registration. This initiative aligns with UNICEF’s vision to ensure that no child is deprived of a legal identity.

In total, three categories were awarded:

1. Category 1: Best overall performance
2. Category 2: Top three per region
3. Category 3: Most promising practices

Municipal councils of Koza (Far North), Bikok (Center), Nitoukou (Center), Batouri (East), and Limbe 1 (Southwest) received checks ranging from 10 to 14 million CFA francs, as well as tricycles and digital equipment, based on their scores:

• Garoua 2: 86.2/120 – 15 million CFA
• Koza: 85.2 points – 14 million CFA
• Bikok: 84.3 points – 13 million CFA
• Nitoukou: 78.1 points – 12 million CFA
• Batouri: 76.4 points – 12 million CFA
• Limbe 1: 75.7 points – 10 million CFA

These prizes aim to support improvements in birth registration systems within the winning municipalities.

UNICEF also recognized the exceptional commitment of certain individuals during the competition. Jean Abaté Edi’i, Governor of the Northern Region, was particularly honored for sponsoring a special birth registration initiative. Alexandre Marie Yomo, Director General of the National Civil Status Bureau (BUNEC), was also rewarded for the dedication of his teams in the field.

Remarkable Results on the Ground

In her speech, Nadine Perrault, UNICEF Representative in Cameroon, praised the engagement of nearly all municipalities and the impressive results achieved:

• 176 municipalities established civil registration services in health centers.
• 126 municipalities enrolled pupils without birth certificates in primary schools.
• 82 municipalities developed a budgeted action plan.
• 88 municipalities created civil status consultation platforms.
• 83 municipalities adopted innovative practices to improve birth registration.

These advances reflect a collective will to strengthen birth registration at the local level and promote interoperability between health, education, and civil status sectors.

The UNICEF Representative expressed deep gratitude to all technical and financial partners involved:
“The progress achieved is a source of hope. Thanks to this momentum, local civil registration systems have been strengthened, innovations introduced, and services made more accessible to the most vulnerable populations. These successes are the result of exceptional local leadership, embodied by the mayors—the true agents of change we honor today.”
— Nadine Perrault, UNICEF Representative in Cameroon

Special Awards for Citizenship Champions

The 40 top-ranked municipalities received various equipment, including mobile service tricycles, IT equipment, and certificates of recognition.

The Minister of Decentralization and Local Development, a key player in the success of the “My Name” campaign, emphasized that the most recent civil status law was among the achievements stemming from this initiative. He reiterated the government’s commitment to continue improving the birth registration system.

A National Commitment to Legal Identity

This competition follows the signing of the Mayors’ Charter during the first Mayors’ Forum on Birth Registration, held on April 27, 2024. At that forum, mayors pledged to make birth registration a local priority. The “My Name” contest is a joint initiative of UNICEF, the Cameroonian government, particularly MINDDEVEL and BUNEC, and decentralized local authorities.

In total, 98% of municipalities, or 367 out of 374, participated in the contest, guided by seven key indicators. These included establishing civil registration offices in health facilities, developing budgeted civil status action plans, providing feedback on statistical data, ensuring interoperability of information systems, and mobilizing communities and schools.

Rewards Based on Effort

A jury composed of representatives from government bodies, including MINDDEVEL, BUNEC, and MINEDUB, as well as technical and financial partners such as FEICOM, the World Bank, GIZ, NASLA, INS, and UNICEF evaluated the municipalities’ performance.

A Step Toward Inclusive Citizenship

The “My Name” challenge paves the way for a more robust, inclusive, and interconnected civil registration system. It represents a significant step toward addressing the invisibility of children without legal identity and supports the legal recognition of every child in Cameroon. By laying the foundation for a more inclusive civil registration system, “My Name” directly contributes to UNICEF’s KRC 7, which aims to guarantee legal identity for every child, and aligns with SDG 16.9, promoting universal legal identity by 2030.

“What we have accomplished together goes far beyond a competition: it is a national movement to ensure that every child is visible, recognized, and protected. Thanks to this momentum, public services have moved closer to the most vulnerable families, and the impact is already tangible on the ground.”
— Nadine Perrault, UNICEF Representative in Cameroon