Amidst a global landscape where development funding is increasingly scarce and public aid dwindles, Chad has achieved what many analysts considered unthinkable. The country’s National Development Plan (PND) requires a total investment of $30 billion, with the private sector stepping up to cover 46% of this amount. By November 2025, Chad had already secured commitments totaling $20.5 billion, including $16.4 billion from private and international investors. An additional $4.1 billion was pledged through 40 memorandums of understanding. For a nation ranked 190th out of 193 in the 2025 Human Development Index, this financial mobilization stands as a remarkable feat.
The driving force behind this success lies in a carefully crafted strategy that few countries in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) have executed with such precision. Through a diplomatic initiative, Chad strengthened ties with the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Development Bank, unlocking a previously untapped channel of Islamic financing—a rarity in the region. Simultaneously, the country reinforced its conventional multilateral support from institutions like the IMF and World Bank while fostering South-South partnerships with Middle Eastern nations. This innovative tripartite financing model—combining Western, Islamic, and South-South funding—creates an unprecedented financial architecture in Central Africa.
Chad’s fiscal credibility has been instrumental in attracting these investments. Despite hosting over 1.5 million Sudanese refugees and bearing the associated costs, the country maintained its budget deficit below the 3% threshold set by CEMAC in 2025. Public debt remains modest at 32% of GDP, one of the lowest in the CEMAC zone. This fiscal discipline, paired with tax base expansion reforms and digitalized revenue collection, has sent a strong signal of reliability to investors—something even wealthier economies struggle to achieve.
For development partners, Islamic financial institutions, and private investors eyeing Central Africa, Chad’s experience offers a practical blueprint: massive private capital mobilization does not require a sophisticated financial market or high per capita income. The government now aims to focus on attracting private equity funds and strengthening its regulatory framework to sustain this momentum. For N’Djamena, the $20.5 billion secured marks the beginning of an economic transformation that global institutions are closely monitoring.
Idrissa Diakité
