• Chad appoints new telecoms minister following April 1 cabinet reshuffle
• Government targets $1.5 billion digital transformation under “Tchad Connexion 2030”
• Plans focus on infrastructure expansion, competition, and improved digital services

Chad has appointed Haliki Choua Mahamat as minister of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalization of Public Administration following a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, April 1. He replaces Boukar Michel, who had held the position since January 2024.

In his new role, Haliki Choua Mahamat will oversee digital transformation efforts, a priority for accelerating socioeconomic development. The national development plan known as "Tchad Connexion 2030" envisions an investment of approximately $1.5 billion to make digital technology a key driver of development by 2030, including providing quality internet connectivity nationwide.

Several initiatives are planned to strengthen the country's digital infrastructure. These include completing a third international connection via Niger, which involves a 509-kilometer segment running from N'Djamena to the Nigerien border, and opening international connections to Libya and Egypt to private operators. The privatization of state-owned company Sotel is also under consideration to introduce a third market player and stimulate competition in infrastructure management.

The government also plans to complete the intercity and urban fiber-optic network in major cities and to establish a state-owned infrastructure company to manage the high-speed fiber-optic backbone. Licenses will be issued to satellite network operators to extend coverage to underserved areas, particularly in rural zones. The implementation of mobile number portability is expected to further increase competition.

Beyond infrastructure, the government intends to digitize, interconnect and strengthen key public and semi-public services so that citizens have access to a full range of e-government services. It also plans to accelerate and broaden e-payment adoption across all basic services.

By 2030, Chad aims to cut the cost of telecoms services in half, which currently represent 10% of gross national income per capita. Mobile broadband penetration is targeted to rise from 16% in 2021 to 30% by 2030, while overall mobile telephony penetration is expected to reach 80%, up from 65% in 2023. The government also aims to extend access to digital services across the entire population, putting the country in the top third of African nations for digital coverage.

Chad currently ranks 189th out of 193 countries on the United Nations E-Government Development Index, having recorded a score of 0.1785 out of 1 in 2024. That figure falls well below the African average of 0.4247 and the global average of 0.6382.

Service quality remains a key challenge

As the former director general of the Electronic Communications and Posts Regulatory Authority, known by its French acronym ARCEP, Haliki Choua Mahamat is familiar with telecoms service quality issues, which have long been a key issue in the sector. Consumers frequently complain of dropped calls, slow connections, repeated outages and incomplete territorial coverage.

The government has consistently pressured sector stakeholders, from the telecoms minister to operators and the regulator, to address the situation. In late December 2025, Prime Minister Allah Maye Halina criticized telecoms operators over recurring service disruptions. He also highlighted the insufficient rollout of fiber-optic infrastructure, particularly in the country's northern and southern regions, and called for stricter monitoring of service quality.

A 15th service quality audit, conducted by ARCEP between September and October 2025, found improved signal stability in several urban centers, reflecting operators' investment efforts. The regulator nonetheless noted persistent shortcomings, including faulty equipment, inadequate maintenance operations, energy supply difficulties and, in some localities, sites that are completely offline.

Isaac K. Kassouwi