(Business in Cameroon) – Eudoxie Douya has taken over as head of the Association of Insurance Companies of Cameroon (Asac). The chief executive officer of Royal Onyx Insurance was formally installed in her new role on December 4, 2025, in Douala by Finance Minister Louis Paul Motazé. She succeeds Thierry Kepeden, chief executive officer of Axa Assurances Cameroon, who completed two terms at the head of the professional body.
The first woman to lead Asac, Eudoxie Douya has set out a two-year program of “coordinated action” built around five pillars: digitalization, large-risk pools, development of the life insurance segment, human capital, and institutional dialogue. Her immediate operational focus is the digitalization of motor insurance certificates, which are still largely managed manually.
Digitalization aligned with national strategy
In his address, Louis Paul Motazé criticized the manual management of motor insurance certificates, citing duplication and parallel distribution channels. He called for the rapid rollout of digital certificates to secure processes, reduce fraud, and improve traceability.
The installation of the new executive team comes as Asac is expected to help deliver the objectives of Cameroon’s National Development Strategy 2020–2030 (SND30). The framework aims to drive structural economic transformation and expand financing capacity, with the insurance sector expected to play a stronger role in mobilizing savings and covering risks.
In this context, the finance minister urged the new leadership to support the creation of a national reinsurance company, the establishment of an automotive guarantee fund, and the launch of a co-insurance pool for container leasing insurance. Other priorities include reforming the TPV Pool, continuing dialogue among stakeholders involved in the issuance and enforcement of surety insurance, and streamlining the sector’s digital platforms.
A growing but shallow market
Eudoxie Douya brings 24 years of experience in insurance. A graduate of the International Insurance Institute of Yaoundé, she spent 20 years with the Ascoma group before taking over four years ago as chief executive officer of Royal Onyx Insurance, one of the newer players in the market. Her appointment comes as the sector seeks to strengthen financial performance while expanding its customer base.
Despite revenue rising 5% to CFA155.82 billion in the first half of 2024, Cameroon’s insurance market remains underdeveloped, with a penetration rate of only about 1%. One of the key challenges of the mandate is to extend insurance coverage to households and small and medium-sized enterprises so the sector can play a more meaningful role in financing and stabilizing the national economy.
Restoring trust and speeding up claims
To achieve this, the Douya-led executive team will need to rebuild trust between policyholders and insurers, amid lingering skepticism and perceptions of slow claims settlement. This effort will rely on greater transparency, clearer communication on coverage and exclusions, and shorter compensation timelines to reinforce insurance as a credible risk management tool.
In this context, digitalization of processes, certificates, and exchange platforms is seen as a central lever to improve customer relations, strengthen data reliability, and project a more modern and responsive image for the sector.
Frédéric Nonos
