The admission results for Cameroon's National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM) for 2025 are once again sparking controversy. As in previous years, accusations of nepotism and favoritism are resurfacing, fueled by the dissemination of unofficial lists on social media. These lists highlight family connections between newly admitted students and influential state figures, rekindling suspicions of elite reproduction within the Cameroonian senior civil service.
The official lists, published on November 21, 2025, by the Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reform (MINFOPRA), make no mention of candidates' family ties. They present admissions as being based on merit, in accordance with the principles of meritocracy. However, an alternative list is circulating, the result of a cross-referencing of public data, which associates the names of those admitted with those of their parents holding key positions in administration, the judiciary, the army and public companies.
ENAM, created in 1959, is seen as the main gateway to the senior civil service in Cameroon. It trains future civil administrators, magistrates, diplomats and senior government officials. As a result, admission to ENAM is a major issue, as it paves the way for prestigious careers, access to public resources and a lasting network of influence. The question is not whether the children of the elite succeed in the competition, but rather why their success is so consistent, beyond what preparation statistics could justify.
Several factors may explain this over-representation. Unequal access to quality preparation, concentrated in private preparatory classes in Yaoundé and Douala, favors wealthy families. The oral exam, less formalized than the written exams, leaves room for subjective assessment by juries. In addition, the opaque composition of the juries and the absence of mechanisms for declaring conflicts of interest raise questions of impartiality.
The publication of these cross-referenced lists puts pressure on MINFOPRA, with calls for an independent audit of the 2025 results, increased transparency on the composition of juries and strengthened anonymization measures during oral tests. The credibility of the public administration is at stake. If access to the senior civil service is perceived as reserved for an elite, confidence in institutions risks eroding, fueling civic disengagement and the exile of young graduates. Ultimately, a civil service recruited through co-option risks serving its networks more than citizens, affecting the quality of public policies, the fight against corruption and Cameroon's attractiveness to foreign investment. The question remains: does ENAM train the best, or does it reproduce the same power structures?
