Chad has validated its National Data Governance Strategy, establishing a framework intended to guide the protection, management, sharing and strategic use of data across the country.
The strategy was endorsed on October 7 in N’Djamena during a national workshop convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Chad’s Ministry of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalization, according to the ECA website.
The event brought together about 50 representatives from government institutions, regulators, the private sector, academia, civil society and development partners.
The framework identifies data as a sovereign national asset that can support evidence-based policymaking, more efficient public services, innovation and economic competitiveness. It is built around seven areas, including institutional coordination, legislation, data quality and interoperability, infrastructure and access, cybersecurity and personal-data protection, skills development, and the data economy.
Participants also examined priority applications in health, education, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, mining, petroleum, telecommunications and digital services. A proposed single digital window is expected to support more integrated government services.
ECA representative Mactar Seck said the strategy must move beyond policy commitments and become a practical framework supported by institutions, financing, and measurable actions. GIZ representative Tobias Dierks similarly stressed the need to shift quickly from drafting to implementation.
The next phase will focus on applying the strategy, building institutional capacity and mobilising partnerships. Its success will depend on coordination among public authorities, businesses, researchers, civil-society groups and development partners.
In September 2024, the World Bank approved a $92.2 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA) to expand access to affordable and resilient broadband connectivity and improve government capacity to deliver public services digitally in Chad.
The Chad Digital Transformation Project aims to strengthen the institutional, strategic, legal, regulatory and policy frameworks for Chadian people's access to broadband internet services, implement a reliable digital ecosystem, and develop strategies for the digitization of the public sector.
It will expand broadband connectivity in rural, peri-urban and urban areas and strengthen the digital skills of the population, especially women and youth. It will also improve the technical services of the administration by developing the foundations of digital government services and systems, strengthening the digital capacities of public sector actors, and providing support for institutional coordination and knowledge transfer.
