When developing nations want to fix their broken, slow-moving bureaucracies, they used to look straight to Western Europe or Silicon Valley. Not anymore. Today, Chad is looking at Azerbaijan. A high-level delegation from N'Djamena, led by Economy and Finance Minister Tahir Hamid Nguilin, just wrapped up a scouting trip to Baku to study Azerbaijan's highly successful ASAN Service model—signaling a fresh, tech-driven twist in ties between Central Africa and the Caspian region.
During the tour, Jeyhun Salmanov, the deputy chairman of the state agency running the program, walked the Chadian team through the inner workings of ASAN, showing off everything from its centralized digital ID systems to its "Mobile ASAN" vans that bring government paperwork to remote villages. The Chadians also checked out Baku's tech incubators and the ABAD project, which helps small local businesses cut through red tape. By the end of the trip, Chad made it clear: they want to bring a slice of this Azerbaijani blueprint back home.
For Chad, this isn't just a polite diplomatic field trip; it’s about survival and economic reform. N'Djamena is desperately trying to modernize its state institutions, roll out digital government services, and prove to foreign investors that doing business in Chad doesn't mean drowning in an endless sea of paperwork.
For Azerbaijan, the visit is a massive feather in its cap. ASAN has evolved from a domestic fix for local bureaucracy into one of Baku's most famous and lucrative intellectual exports. Azerbaijan has already signed cooperation deals to share this model with over 30 countries and international organizations, positioning itself as a go-to tech consultant for emerging economies.
The big takeaway here is clear. As Azerbaijan expands its footprint across Africa, the conversation is moving far beyond traditional oil deals and basic diplomacy. Today, the new currency of influence is digital transformation, smart public administration, and tech infrastructure—the exact tools African governments are scrambling to secure for their long-term economic future.
