Hortense Asim Abisone: a strong link at the NSIF
The Director of Finance and Accounting at Cameroon's National Social Insurance Fund (NSIF) is a competent, dynamic, professional, loyal and inspired woman behind several of the institution's successes.
There are some people for whom a single press article is not enough. Yes, it would take a book to tell the inspiring and endearing story of the current Director of Finance and Accounting at the NSIF. But since this is the 40th International Women's Day, let's keep it short.
Hortense Asim Abisone was recruited to the NSIF as a financial manager on the 21st of August 1998, after completing her postgraduate diploma in banking and finance with distinction. Since then, her achievements have been numerous. Work being her special ally, she made her mark at the former Inspectorate General, Statistics Service, where she and her colleagues quickly initiated the institution's first statistical yearbook. In 1999, the Inspectorate General expressed its satisfaction with her work and sent her to the International Social Security Association (ISSA) for further training in this field. The following years saw a succession of good news and professional achievements. In October 2000, she became one of the few staff members to work with a computer and was appointed head of the portfolio and treasury service. In a tight financial context, she initiated the very first cash budget, which established the principle of the unity of NSIF funds, with revenue accounts managed by the Directorate General. She introduced management by letter of credit for external units, which made it easier to pay pensioners, and this earned her further public congratulations from top management for her professionalism during the presentation of her New Year's greetings to the Director General in January 2002. In July 2002, she was logically promoted to Head of Finance, having played a very active role in bringing the accounts for four financial years up to date. Our Amazon of work and finance also played a leading role in the conversion of the NSIF accounts to CIPRES accounting in 2004. Thanks to this feat, achieved with the help of her teams, which she manages with aplomb, the NSIF is now able to produce its annual accounts at a time when other companies, including the most prestigious ones, often start their year-end work...
On the 3rd of March 2009, this financial intellectual from the Nyanon Sub-division of Sanaga-Maritime became the NSIF's first and only Director of Finance and Real estate. Inspired by this position of responsibility, she drew up the first internal price list, contributed to the introduction of the just-in-time stock management system, drew up the first basic inventory, cleaned up the management of real estate, which led to an increase in revenue of more than 28% in three years and an increase in cash reserves of more than 1,561% in ten years, reduced operating costs by 70% in ten years, drew up the first IPSAS accounts for the organisation in Cameroon and for the entire CIPRES zone in 2012, managed the renovation of the ministerial building No. 1 "Emergence" between 2010 and 2014, as well as the construction of some twenty NSIF buildings, whether rented or operational, since then... A tireless worker of unquestionable loyalty and professionalism, she and the Director General form an unshakable and envied high-level duo in managing the organisation's activities, arriving at the office every day before 7 a.m. and leaving after 9 p.m. She is the project leader of the monitoring committee for the various strategic plans, with exceptional results since 2013, such as the introduction of cost accounting and the NSIF's first programme budget, as well as the record increase in the organisation's cash reserves (from CFA francs 13 billion in 2008 to more than CFA francs 500 billion in 2024). Since 2012, the accounts of our champion of ethical and efficient management have been certified without reservation. For several years now, it has been producing its accounts in January, just a few days after the end of the year on the 31st of December, such is the diligence, punctuality and meticulousness with which it keeps track of its accounts from day to day.
Her election as permanent auditor of the ISSA's Audit Control Committee on the 1st of July 2015 remains an unprecedented achievement for an African social security worker. With this election, Hortense Asim Abisone, "has once again been honoured, not only by the NSIF, but also by Cameroon and Africa" according to the institution's Directorate General, which sent her its "warmest congratulations". She has also received several letters from the Director General congratulating her on her invaluable work. The NSIF and Cameroon owe her a lot!
Although she has always been known for her hard work, discipline and sense of perfection, 'DFC', as she is affectionately known, is also a great sportswoman (the only woman to run the Race of Hope for the NSIF and reigning champion of the women's half-marathon) and a generous soul whose modesty is a triumph. But that's a story for another publication...
