Key Metrics
14.48
Heat Index-
Impact LevelMedium
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Scope LevelNational
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Last Update2025-09-14
Key Impacts
Negative Impacts (2)
Event Overview
Aging political leadership faces challenges in leveraging social media to engage a younger demographic. Despite increased online presence, the campaign does not align with the preferred platforms of the target audience, highlighting a disconnect between traditional and modern communication strategies.
Collect Records
Cameroon's President Biya Struggles to Engage Young Voters on Social Media
Cameroon's 92-year-old President Paul Biya is struggling to engage young voters through a recent social media revamp, despite daily posts on platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). This effort comes as he seeks an eighth term in office. Despite the increased social media activity, the campaign may not be resonating with young voters, as most of Cameroon's 5.4 million social media users, especially 95% of young people, primarily use WhatsApp, where presidential communication is almost non-existent. The digital communication strategy is perceived as top-down, with comments often ignored or deleted, and personalized responses are rare. This approach creates distance and limits trust, as many recognize that the messages are not personally authored by the leader. Cameroon's population is predominantly young, with over 60% under 25 and more than half the electorate under 30, making them key to the election outcome. Young people emphasize that political communication should promote democracy and transparency, not just serve as a marketing tool, and demand concrete action on issues that impact them.