Botswana concludes capacity building and stakeholder engagement for national data strategy – Digital Watch Observatory

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Botswana’s Ministry of Communications and Innovation held a five-day data governance capacity building and stakeholder engagement workshop as part of the development of the country’s National Data Strategy.
The Ministry of Communications and Innovations of Botswana have concluded a five‑day Data Governance Capacity‑Building Training and Multi‑Stakeholder Engagement, held from 7 to 11 September 2026, to support the development of Botswana’s National Data Strategy. The workshop follows progress on a National Data Policy and aims to translate its principles, priorities and policy direction into an implementable strategy.
The development of the Botswana national data strategy is supported the African Union Commission and the European Union under the Data Governance in Africa Initiative. Implementation support is being provided by the African Union Development Agency and GIZ. The National Data Strategy is presented as a mechanism for positioning data as a strategic national resource, promoting responsible data use, strengthening institutional coordination and fostering trust among government, citizens, businesses and other actors in the data ecosystem.
Assistant Minister of Communications and Innovation Hon Shawn Ntlhaile delivered the keynote address. He said data governance will enable ‘secure, transparent and efficient public services, effective protection of citizens and adequate sharing of data that motivates innovation, cross‑border collaborations and digital sovereignty’. He described data as ‘a strategic asset that underpins innovation, policy‑making and inclusive development’ and urged participants to engage actively, share insights and build networks.
Under the Data Governance in Africa Initiative, several countries in Africa, including Burundi, The Gambia, Lesotho, and Mozambique are being supported to develop national data policies and strategies.
The African Union Data Policy Framework was approved in 2022. It aims to strengthen national data systems, encourage harmonisation of data policies across Africa and enable trusted cross-border data flows. The Botswana National Data Strategy matters sets out to translate these continental ambitions into a national framework, setting out how Botswana can govern, share and use data more effectively across government and the wider economy. It also provides a basis for improving interoperability, strengthening institutional coordination, supporting data-driven public services and innovation, and aligning Botswana’s data governance approach with wider regional and continental priorities.

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