By: Kanto
Kai Okanta
Cheikh Tidiane Sarr, the new
Director General of Senegal’s Telecommunications and Posts Regulatory Authority
(ARTP), has outlined plans to modernise the institution, strengthen regulatory
oversight and support the transformation of the country’s digital economy.
Sarr set out his priorities
during the official handover ceremony held at ARTP headquarters, when he took
over from outgoing Director General Dahirou Thiam. The ceremony was attended by
members of the ARTP college, including its president, senior state officials,
ARTP staff and representatives of Senegal’s digital and postal ecosystem.
Sarr said his mandate would
focus on continuity, transformation and high standards, building on the work
undertaken by Thiam, whose results he welcomed. He said the immediate objective
was to consolidate existing achievements and accelerate the modernisation of
the authority.
Addressing rapid
developments in the telecommunications and digital sectors, including 5G,
future 6G, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, high-speed satellites and
digital finance, Sarr said ARTP would need to strengthen its capacity for
anticipation.
He aims to gradually move
the institution towards a fifth-generation regulatory model, with greater
reliance on data, transparency, real-time measurement of quality of service and
modern monitoring tools.
The proposed direction
aligns with Senegal 2050 and the New Technological Deal, which seek to position
digital technology as strategic infrastructure for national development. It
will also require stronger coordination between institutions and adjustments to
the regulatory framework to address emerging technological and economic
challenges.
Sarr also identified the
postal sector as a priority, announcing that ARTP intends to support the
restructuring and strategic recovery of SN Poste, improve financing for the
universal postal service and contribute to establishing a unified regulatory
framework for postal and logistics services.
He further called for
operators, fintech companies, postal and logistics businesses, digital service
providers, consumer associations and institutional partners to work together to
advance the sector.
The new director general
intends to combine his operational experience with the expertise of ARTP’s
teams to support the transformation of Senegal’s digital economy and strengthen
the authority’s position as a regulatory reference in Africa and internationally.
Thiam, who led ARTP for 24
months, used the handover ceremony to review his tenure, thank the authority’s
staff and congratulate his successor.
