(Business in Cameroon) - The Central Census and Population Studies Office (Bucrep) only received 21,000 applications for its recently launched recruitment campaign, which runs until September 15. The 4th general population census in Cameroon, which is combined with the general census of agriculture and livestock is seeking a total of 32,059 applications, we learned.

"We hope we will reach the number we are seeking before the deadline. As we've often noticed, they wait until the end to register in large numbers," said Hervé Joël Efon, the mapping unit leader at Bucrep. According to him, in case there is still a shortage of applicants in the last days, the organization may extend the deadline.

Young people's reluctance to apply may stem from past payment difficulties faced by Bucrep-recruited agents. But for this 4th census, Bucrep is introducing a digital tablet system, which not only facilitates direct data collection but also ensures immediate compensation for agents upon completing their work.

As a reminder, the census is scheduled for November and December 2023 in all of the country’s regions. Applicants must be Cameroonian citizens aged between 18 and 40, and most importantly, they must speak a local language in the requested census area.