N’Djamena, Chad, 7 October 2026 – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalization of the Republic of Chad, convened the National Validation Workshop for Chad’s National Data Governance Strategy on 7 October 2026 in N’Djamena.
The workshop brought together 50 participants representing government institutions, regulatory authorities, the private sector, academia, civil society, and technical and development partners to review and validate the Strategy, which will provide a national reference framework for the governance, protection, management, sharing and strategic use of data. The validation marks an important milestone in the participatory process undertaken to support the development of Chad’s national approach to data governance.
The Strategy seeks to position data as a sovereign and strategic national asset, supporting effective public policies, improved public services, innovation, economic competitiveness and sustainable development.
It is structured around seven complementary pillars: institutional governance and coordination; the legal and regulatory framework; data management, quality and interoperability; data infrastructure, data sharing and access; security and personal data protection; skills development and data culture; and the data economy and innovation.
Opening the workshop, H.E. the Minister of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalization of Public Administration, Hon. Haliki Choua Mahamat emphasized the Government’s ambition to place data at the centre of Chad’s public-sector modernization and socio-economic 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,” stated the Minister.
Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Tobias Dierks, representative of GIZ, highlighted the importance of moving decisively from the development of the Strategy to its implementation.
Speaking on behalf of ECA, Dr. Mactar Seck emphasized that the Strategy must ultimately become a practical instrument capable of delivering measurable results for the country.
“The Strategy that brings us together today will only take on its full meaning if it becomes a living framework: owned by institutions, understood by stakeholders, sustainably financed and translated into concrete actions,” said Dr. Mactar Seck.
He also reaffirmed ECA commitment to continue supporting Chad as the country transitions from strategy development to implementation, focusing on capacity building, sharing African experiences and good practices, alignment with continental frameworks, partnership mobilisation, and translating strategic priorities into measurable results.
The Strategy identifies priority use cases in sectors critical to Chad’s development, including the single digital window, health, education, mining and petroleum, agriculture, livestock and fisheries, telecommunications and digital services.
During the validation workshop, participants reviewed the Strategy and provided recommendations through thematic discussions covering institutional governance and the legal framework; data management, quality, interoperability and infrastructure; security and personal data protection; and skills development, the data economy and innovation.
The validation of the National Data Governance Strategy marks the beginning of a new phase focused on implementation. Moving forward, government institutions, the private sector, academia, civil society and development partners will play an important role in translating the Strategy and its roadmap into concrete actions that strengthen public administration, digital sovereignty, innovation and sustainable socio-economic development.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org