Teacher postings and transfers in Cameroon
Being posted far from home, waiting to be put on the payroll, asking for a transfer: this is daily life for thousands of Cameroonian teachers. The detailed rules for postings and transfers (timetable, documents, criteria) were not published in a readable form on the ministries' websites when we checked. This page brings together what is documented: the role of digital tools, sanctions for abandoning posts, imbalances between regions and irregularities reported in the press.
Information checked on
Who manages teachers' careers?
Primary teachers come under the Ministry of Basic Education (MINEDUB) and secondary teachers under the Ministry of Secondary Education (MINESEC); the Ministry of Public Service (MINFOPRA) handles integration, civil-service numbers and career decisions. Regional and divisional delegations receive files and monitor staff attendance: in 2018 it was MINESEC's regional delegate for the Far North who made public the cases of teachers absent from their posts. We could not find online the text setting out exactly which postings are signed by the minister and which by delegates.
Since 1 January 2025, payroll and career decisions have gone through AIGLES, the staff and payroll management application; more than 15,000 decisions (promotions, confirmations, regrading) had been processed through it by early 2026, according to EcoMatin. MINFOPRA's website also lists SIGIPES, a file-tracking service (dossier.minfopra.gov.cm) and a âmapping of job positionsâ.
Uneven distribution
The imbalance between regions is long-standing. According to a 2004 government study cited by Wikipedia, the Adamawa, North and Far North provinces combined had only 5.7% of the country's teachers. In 2018 MINESEC's regional delegate for the Far North counted 172 teachers absent from their posts, some since 2013 and âoften covered up by school headsâ; syllabus coverage there fell to about 36%. He cited flooding, insecurity and the difficulty of collecting fees in cotton- and onion-growing areas.
The teacher shortage remains severe in primary education: 113,690 teachers for 4.944 million pupils across all schools, according to figures cited by EcoMatin in January 2026. These figures match MINEDUB's 2021-2022 yearbook, which counts 4,944,290 pupils and 114,142 teachers. We found no recent public statistics on how teachers are split between towns and rural areas.
Abandoning a post: the sanctions
| Date | Measure | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| 18 December 2019 | Pay suspended for 36 teachers for irregular absence (North-West, Anglophone crisis) | Senior divisional officer of Donga-Mantung |
| 27 January 2025 | List of 1,226 absent teachers, ordered back by 10 February | Government (MINFOPRA) |
| February 2025 | About 297 teachers dismissed, over 280 of them from secondary schools | Prime Minister's Office; MINFOPRA |
In the North-West case, the Collective of Indignant Teachers of Cameroon (CEIC) called the suspensions âabusive and unilateralâ, pointing to insecurity in conflict areas and the killing of a teacher by armed separatists in May 2019. According to EcoMatin, the 2025 dismissals brought the number of dismissed public employees to 4,324 and were expected to save about 50 million CFA francs a month.
Alleged irregularities
- 2015: during the contract scheme for parent-paid teachers, candidates reported unknown names on their school's lists and a head teacher asking for 300,000 CFA francs; MINEDUB said the operation was carried out âwith diligence and integrityâ (Camer.be).
- 2016: the Snicomp union denounced âdisciplinary postingsâ and pay suspensions targeting contract primary teachers (Camer.be).
- 2017: young teachers told Camer.be about intermediaries charging to move their integration files forward.
Transfers: what is not published
We found no official document online describing the timetable for transfer requests, the documents required, the criteria (seniority, joining a spouse, health) or how ENS and ENIEG graduates are assigned. This information circulates through internal circulars and regional delegations. The best course is to ask your divisional delegation and track your file on the MINFOPRA portal.
Frequently asked questions
Who posts teachers in Cameroon?
MINEDUB for primary and MINESEC for secondary, with their regional delegations; MINFOPRA handles integration and careers. The exact division of signing powers is not published online.
What happens to a teacher who abandons their post?
Pay suspension, then dismissal: in February 2025 about 297 teachers were dismissed after a list of 1,226 absentees was published on 27 January, according to EcoMatin.
How does a teacher request a transfer?
The procedure is not published online: it goes through the line management and the divisional delegation, which can give the timetable and the documents required.
Are there enough teachers in northern Cameroon?
Not according to available data: in 2004 Adamawa, North and Far North had only 5.7% of teachers, and 172 teachers were missing from their posts in the Far North in 2018.
What is AIGLES?
The state's staff and payroll management application, in use since 1 January 2025: it issues civil-service numbers and automates promotions and confirmations.
Handle with care
MINESEC posting circulars are not published online. The 5.7% figure dates from 2004 and has not been updated by any public source. MINFOPRA does not explain how SIGIPES relates to AIGLES.