It was during a press briefing that the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications announced the official launch of the 2nd wave of the AGRITECH INNOVATION CHALLENGE 2026 competition, in the presence of the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA), in the conference room of the (MINPOSTEL) on March 03, 2026.

This press briefing coupled with the signing ceremony of the co-financing agreements with the beneficiary startups of the 1st edition of the agritech innovation challenge (AIC) was the ideal opportunity for Minister Minette LIBOM LI LIKENG, to present the eight (08) winners present of the Agritech innovation challenge competition of the 1st edition in the eyes of the press. This initiative, organized by the Program for the Acceleration of Digital Transformation in Cameroon (PATNUC), in partnership with the World Bank, the Agritech Innovation Challenge, which is now in its 2nd edition, aims to select, throughout the national territory, young Cameroonians with innovative digital projects, with a high impact in the agropastoral sector. It is part of the implementation of the strategic axis n°3 of the UNPATC aimed at digital transformation in a highly strategic sector for Cameroon, namely the agricultural sector, including agriculture, fisheries and livestock. The agreements that have just been signed concretize, while providing a framework, the technical and financial support of the beneficiary startups, winners of this 1st edition, and pave the way for the effective deployment of their solutions in the field.

. “The training is over for the first edition and all that is expected of you are results in the field and also to be able to insert yourself into the production circuit. And so that all this contributes to the development of livestock and the fishing sector which really needs it and I believe that the opening ceremony with the UNTAP as part of the improvement of the emblematic press system at the level of MINEPIA ,” said Dr. Taïga.

To compete, projects must be in the agriculture, livestock, fisheries or associated value chains: digital marketing platforms, agricultural product traceability solutions, data-driven agricultural advisory applications, smart farm management tools, cooperative digitalization systems, or solutions that facilitate access to agricultural finance. The Cameroon Digital Transformation Support Program (PATNUC), under the supervision of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, is a structuring digital modernization initiative applied to a highly strategic sector for our country.  “ It is a question of taking advantage of digital technology to stimulate economic growth, improve the living conditions of the population, and promote digital inclusion throughout the country, in accordance with the Very High Vision of the President of the Republic, on the need to pay particular attention to the development of digital technology and the linkage to ICTs,  changes in our production methods, for more productivity. ” said MINPOSTEL.

It was noted that agriculture, livestock and fisheries occupy a central place in the economic and social fabric. However, despite their strategic importance, these sectors continue to face major challenges: insufficient modernization of farms, weak integration of value chains, market access constraints, vulnerability to climatic hazards and growing food security imperatives.