The 92-year-old president is fighting for social media to study young Cameroon

Even before the oldest president in the world confirmed that he would run for the eighth term in power, his accounts in the social media did not leave experts.

As long as the 92-year-old guy Paul Bio officially confirmed that he would seek re -election as Cameroon’s president Last week, he had been increasing his presence on the Internet for several months.

Daily messages on Facebook and X (previously Twitter) note a vivid departure from the previous, random presence.

But bio attempts to defeat young people on the eve of the October elections may fall flat, BBC analysts have reports.

“Cameroon has more than 5.4 million social media users, but 95% of young people are counting on WhatsApp – a platform on which presidential communications practically do not exist,” says Media Intelligence Sarl and the author of Multimedia Wuttiaon Adultsia 2024.

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

Another blockage unit is authentic.

“Many know what Paul Bio himself writes – which creates a distance and limits trust,” says Gerv Tiva, a teacher in communication sciences.

“Their communication remains very top -down without real interaction – the comments are ignored or removed, lack of personalized answers … This gives the impression of a strategy that is more cosmetic than the participant.”

Why is this meaning?

Cameroon’s population is mostly young. More than 60% of the population is less than 25 years, and more than half the electorate under the age of 30, that is, they can potentially determine the result of the election.

“Political communication should serve democracy and transparency, not just used as a marketing instrument,” says 27-year-old communications specialist Ulrich Donfac.

Young people want to see specific actions on the issues that affect them, the NSU Falon, who is also 27 years old.

“Cameroon’s youth are not just looking for quick graphics and slogans in the media! They want opportunities, changes and hope,” says the founder of the social enterprise who has preserved the praise for the president’s social media team for “leadership and digitization.”

Unemployment in Cameroon with high content, even the most skilled young people who have numerous university degrees seeking to find a job. Corruption And safety is also key problems.

But instead of focusing on these issues, many reports on the BIYA social media records emphasize its results for 43 years – the time before the majority of the population was born.

According to Aristid Mabat’s communication strategist, the bio team is now issuing excerpts in French and English with more than 300 speeches that the president has performed for decades.

One of the recent, pointed examples has made a speech since 2000, pressing people who read others but do not preach the example. It was posted only two days after One of the longest allies bio criticized his driving and gave up on it.

It seems that this slightly restrained approach did not light a great enthusiasm, but still improving what was going on.

“His communication was previously limited to official decrees and state addresses. The transition to frequent digital messages shows intentional efforts to return the story and look more present,” Tiva says.

Lack of bio in the public for over six weeks last year led to speculation About his well -being and unjustified rumors he died.

Proponents praised these recent efforts, and state media such as Cameroon Tribune, emphasize digital propaganda bio as a sign of vitality and leadership.

But skepticism and sarcasm are in greater evidence on the Internet. Comments below the latest messages about X and Facebook polo bio include:

“It looks like it opens the Internet in 2025, but it is, first and foremost, the electoral market test,” says the Cynthia name.

“Finally, he talks to young people,” Jean-Pierre comments.

“Cameroons want roads, not hashtags,” writes the user called Mireili.

“I am not convinced personally,”-32-year-old businessman Che Ornold tells the BBC about the BIYA camp strategy to address young voters.

“In order to promote political reforms, you need to go beyond tweets, Facebook messages and simple internet presence, but also solve real social problems.”

The bio will have to wait for the October elections to find out if these efforts will turn into younger people who vote for it.

Edit and Additional Natasha Boot Report