Chad has validated a national data governance strategy designed to strengthen its control over data, improve public services and support the country’s digital economy.
The framework was validated at a national workshop in N’Djamena, organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Chad’s Ministry of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalisation of Public Administration.
The workshop brought together 50 participants from government agencies, regulatory bodies, private companies, academic institutions, civil society and development partners to review the strategy, which will guide how data is governed, protected, managed, shared and used across the country.
The strategy treats data as a national asset that can improve policymaking, encourage innovation, strengthen economic competitiveness and support sustainable development.
It is built around seven pillars, including institutional coordination, legal and regulatory frameworks, data quality and interoperability, infrastructure and data sharing, cybersecurity and personal data protection, skills development, and the growth of the data economy.
Speaking at the workshop, Chad’s Minister of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalisation of Public Administration, Haliki Choua Mahamat, said the government intended to make data central to public-sector modernisation and national development.
“Our ambition is clear: to make data a strategic national asset that supports the modernization of the State, the effectiveness of public action, and the economic and social development of Chad,” the minister said.
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Representatives of Germany’s development cooperation agency, GIZ, and the ECA stressed the need to translate the framework into practical results through effective implementation, institutional support and sustainable funding.
The ECA also pledged support through capacity building, knowledge-sharing with other African countries, partnerships and alignment with continental data governance frameworks.
The strategy identifies several sectors where better data management could improve services and economic activity, including healthcare, education, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, mining, petroleum, telecommunications and digital services.
It also proposes the use of data to improve digital government services, including through a single digital window intended to make public services more accessible.
The validation marks the beginning of the implementation phase, with government institutions, businesses, universities, civil society groups and development partners expected to help put the strategy into practice.
The initiative forms part of Chad’s broader effort to strengthen digital sovereignty by improving its capacity to govern and protect national data while using it to modernise public administration and support economic development.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
