As part of the Senegal Digital Strategy 2025 (SN2025), and in partnership with Smart Africa (www.SmartAfrica.org) and GIZ via its Data Economy project, the Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy (MCTEN) completed on Friday, March 24, the observation and brainstorming consultative workshop as part of the process to equip Senegal with a national data strategy in line with the country's priorities in terms of sustainable development, promotion of innovation and value creation, but especially digital sovereignty.

Through a two-day workshop, experts from stakeholder groups and actors of the digital economy met to collect and exchange information on data infrastructures, the regulatory framework, governance and data uses in Senegal.

This workshop was also an opportunity to share the context and objectives of the strategy development project with the entire digital ecosystem.

"Africa's digital sovereignty relies on the management of its data, the new oil. I therefore particularly welcome the willingness of the Senegalese government to implement a national data strategy to supervise and manage the use of data", said Lacina Koné, Director General of Smart Africa, during the opening ceremony of the workshop in Dakar.

"Senegal intends to perpetuate its commitment to the era of digital innovation based on data to further boost the digital economy by providing added value in areas such as improving the development of public policies or the modernization of public services centered on users," said Moussa Bocar Thiam, Minister of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy.

“GIZ on befalf of BMZ supports the Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy of Senegal, in partnership with Smart Africa to develop the first data strategy on the African continent contributing to the human-centered digital transformation” added Bjorn-Soren Gigler, PhD, Head of Data Economy and Blockchain programs.