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October 23, 2024, Yaoundé: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), IHS Cameroon, part of the IHS Holding Limited (NYSE: IHS) (“IHS Towers”) group, and the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), are pleased to announce a new partnership aimed at fostering socio-economic participation and creating inclusive opportunities for refugees, internally displaced people, stateless and host communities in the Far North Region of Cameroon.
With approximately two million forcibly displaced people, including nearly 500,000 refugees, mostly from the Central African Republic and Nigeria, Cameroon faces a complex humanitarian and protection crisis. This requires enhanced coordination efforts from humanitarians, development, and private sector players, and continued support for initiatives that align with the Cameroon Government’s National Development Strategy (NDS 2030).
Signed today, the Memorandum of Understanding establishes a framework for the implementation of a socio-economic and education program that seeks to offer a safe and improved connectivity environment to communities in the Far North Region. Under this agreement, IHS Cameroon will provide digital kiosks to improve internet connectivity and offer more sustainable, economic, and social development opportunities to refugees in the Minawao Camp, and the surrounding host communities. The partnership also includes the refurbishment of the Minawao Camp’s ICT center to help community members improve their digital literacy and broaden the number of people who can access and benefit from education.
Yvette Muhimpundu, UNHCR Representative, said, “Empowering forcibly displaced and stateless people, and helping them foster self-reliance, will ease their participation into the local economy. This collaboration is pivotal to scale up synergies with private sector players and make a meaningful impact on the lives of many, leaving no one behind.”
Olufemi Arosanyin, CEO, IHS Cameroon, commented, “We are proud to support this initiative and help foster sustainable development and economic inclusion in forced displacement settings. We hope both the digital kiosks, our “Tower Kiosk by IHS Cameroon” project, and the refurbished ICT center will provide new opportunities for refugees to participate and engage in public life and access education, while increasing community cohesion.”
Ousmane N’Gaide, JRS Country Director, added, “It is with great pleasure that JRS Cameroon are collaborating on this innovative project, which offers refugees and the host population opportunities to exchange ideas, build skills, share perspectives, and engage with the global community.”
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About UNHCR: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, protects people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We work in over 130 countries, protecting millions of people by responding with life-saving support, safeguarding fundamental human rights, and helping them build a better future. For more information, visit www.unhcr.org
About IHS Towers: IHS Towers is one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count and is solely focused on the emerging markets. The Company has over 40,000 towers across its 10 markets, including Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Kuwait, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia. For more information, please email: [email protected] or visit: www.ihstowers.com
About JRS: Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is a Catholic international humanitarian organization present in 57 countries around the world (Asia, Europe, United States of America and in Africa) whose mission is to Accompany, Serve and Advocate the cause of refugees and other displaced people, so that they can heal, learn and define their own future. JRS Cameroon was opened in 2015 and the national office is based in Yaoundé, Immeuble Ecobank, Etoudi BP 14251, Telephone: +237 222 207 317.