The 92 -year president struggles to attract Cameroonian young people on social networks

Even before the oldest president in the world confirmed that he would apply for an eighth mandate in power, his social media accounts left experts without a doubt.

By the time 92 years Paul Biya officially confirmed that he would seek re -election as president of Cameroon Last week, he had already been increasing his presence online for several months.

Daily publications on Facebook and X (previously Twitter) mark a surprising exit of their previous occasional presence.

But Biya’s attempts to earn young people before the October elections can be plane, analysts say to the BBC.

“Cameroon has more than 5.4 million social media users, but 95% of young people trust WhatsApp, a platform where presidential communication is almost non -existent,” says Rostant Tane, director of Intelligence of Media SARL and author of the study of multimedia audience Cameroon 2024.

“There is no regional segmentation, or interactivity and very little effort to speak the digital language of young people,” he adds.

Another obstacle is authenticity.

“Many know that it is not Paul Biya who is writing, which creates distance and limits trust,” says Hervé Tiwa, professor of Communication Sciences.

“Its communication remains very top down without any real interaction: ignorance or eliminated comments, a lack of personalized responses … This gives the impression of a strategy that is more cosmetics than participatory.”

Why does this matter?

The population of Cameroon is overwhelmingly young. More than 60% of the population is under 25 years old, with more than half of the electorate under 30, which means that they could decide the result of the elections.

“Political communication should serve democracy and transparency, and not only be used as a marketing tool,” says 27 -year -old communications specialist Ulrich Donfack.

Young people want to see a concrete action on issues that affect them, Falone NGU accepts, which is also 27 years old.

“The young people of Cameroon not only seek striking graphics or slogans in the media! They want opportunities, changes and hope,” says the founder of the social company, who reserved some praise for the president’s social media team for realizing that “leadership and digitalization go hand in hand.”

Unemployment is high in Cameroon, even the most qualified young people in possession of multiple university degrees fighting for work. Corruption And security are also key concerns.

But instead of focusing on these issues, many publications in the social networks of Biya emphasize their history for 43 years in power, a time before much of the population was born.

According to the Aristide Mabatto communication strategist, the Biya team now publishes extracts in French and English of more than 300 speeches that the president has pronounced throughout the decades.

A recent and pointed example received a 2000 speech, rebuking people who conference others but do not preach by example. That was published only two days later One of Biya’s oldest allies criticized his government and abandoned him.

This somewhat serious approach does not seem to have lit much enthusiasm, but it is still an improvement in what was before.

“His communication used to limit himself to official decrees and state addresses. The change to frequent digital messaging shows a deliberate effort to recover the narrative and seem more present,” says Tiwa.

The absence of the public for more than six weeks last year had led to speculation about his well -being and unfounded rumors that he had died.

The supporters have praised these last efforts, with state media such as Cameroon Tribune highlighting the digital scope of Biya as a sign of vitality and leadership.

But skepticism and sarcasm are in greater evidence online. Comments below Recent publications about Paul Biya’s X and Facebook accounts include:

“It seems that the Internet is discovering in 2025, but it is mainly a electoral market test,” says a user named Cynthia.

“He is finally talking to young people!” Says Jean-Pierre.

“The Cameroonians want roads, no hashtags,” writes a user named Mireille.

“Personally, I am not at all convinced,” says the 32 -year -old businessman, Che Arnold, to the BBC of the Biya field strategy to attract young voters.

“You must go beyond Tweets, Facebook messages and a simple online presence to promote political reforms, but also solve real social problems.”

Biya will have to wait until the October elections to see if these efforts will translate into younger people who vote for it.

Natasha Booty’s additional edition and reports