Chad Validates National Data Governance Strategy to Advance Digital Sovereignty

Chad has validated its National Data Governance Strategy following a national workshop convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)  and the Ministry of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalization of Public Administration  on 7 October 2026 in N’Djamena.

The workshop brought together 50 participants from government institutions, regulatory authorities, the private sector, academia, civil society and development partners to review the strategy, which will serve as a national framework for governing, protecting, managing, sharing and using data.

The strategy aims to establish data as a sovereign national asset to support policymaking, improve public services, encourage innovation, strengthen economic competitiveness and advance sustainable development. It is built around seven pillars covering institutional governance and coordination; legal and regulatory frameworks; data management, quality and interoperability; data infrastructure and sharing; security and personal data protection; skills development and data culture; and the data economy and innovation.

Speaking at the opening, Chad’s Minister of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalization of Public Administration, Haliki Choua Mahamat, said the government intends to place data at the centre of 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.

Tobias Dierks, representing Germany’s development cooperation agency GIZ, highlighted the importance of moving from strategy development to implementation. ECA representative Mactar Seck also stressed that the framework must be supported by institutions, stakeholders and sustainable financing to deliver measurable results.

ECA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Chad through capacity building, the exchange of African experiences and best practices, alignment with continental frameworks, partnership mobilisation and the translation of strategic priorities into practical outcomes.

The strategy identifies priority data-use cases across key sectors, including digital government services through a single digital window, healthcare, education, mining and petroleum, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, telecommunications and digital services.

During the workshop, participants examined the strategy through thematic discussions on governance and legal frameworks; data management, quality, interoperability and infrastructure; security and personal data protection; and skills development, the data economy and innovation.

The validation marks the transition to the implementation phase. Government institutions, businesses, academic institutions, civil society and development partners are expected to contribute to putting the strategy and its roadmap into action, with the broader aim of strengthening Chad’s digital sovereignty, public administration and socio-economic development.