Tchad: conference-debate on decentralization and provincial councils at the ENA

The École Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in Tchad recently hosted a pivotal conference-debate as part of its « Grands rendez-vous de l’ENA » series, drawing a packed audience of students, civil servants, administrators, and political actors. The event, held this past Friday afternoon, featured a keynote address by former Prime Minister and current Senator Albert Pahimi Padacké, centered on a timely theme: « Decentralization in the dynamics of development: the case of provincial councils ».

Albert Pahimi Padacké, a seasoned politician with a background in civil administration and two terms as Prime Minister, delivered a structured, insightful, and pragmatic presentation. He opened by expressing his enthusiasm for engaging with the participants in this landmark setting, emphasizing the critical importance of decentralization—particularly its impact on local development through provincial councils.

The speaker framed his discussion within a broader historical and international context. He highlighted that Tchad’s decentralization process gained momentum in the 1990s, driven by democratic transitions across Africa, pressure from international donors, and the rise of a governance paradigm focused on empowering communities.

The central question of the debate was clear: Are provincial councils already engines of development, or can they become one? Pahimi Padacké described the topic as interdisciplinary, organizing his remarks around three core pillars:

• Political and normative foundations of decentralization as a development catalyst;
• Key obstacles hindering provincial councils from fulfilling their potential;
• Actionable solutions to transform these councils into true pillars of local progress.

The origins of decentralization in Tchad trace back to the nation’s vibrant forces gathered during the 1993 Sovereign National Conference. This historic assembly advocated for a unitary yet strongly decentralized state, a vision enshrined in the 1996 Constitution and reaffirmed in subsequent texts, including the 2023 Constitution of the Fifth Republic.

Legally, several organic laws have given substance to this vision, including the 2024 organic law n°14 on the status of autonomous local authorities and the 2024 organic law n°28 on the distribution of competencies between the central government and autonomous local entities. Pahimi Padacké underscored two fundamental principles: the transfer of competencies and resources, and the principle of subsidiarity (Article 271 of the Constitution), which mandates decision-making at the level closest to citizens.

He noted that organic law n°28 indeed transfers significant competencies to provincial councils across multiple sectors, though practical implementation still requires additional regulatory texts.

In the second segment of his address, the former Prime Minister provided a candid assessment of the current challenges: delayed transfers of financial and human resources, inadequate technical and administrative capacities within councils, governance issues, and coordination gaps between decentralized administration and elected local bodies.

To address these hurdles, Pahimi Padacké outlined concrete steps: accelerating the transfer of resources—including shares of oil and tax revenues—strengthening the skills of elected officials and council staff, establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, increasing civil society and development partner involvement, and strictly upholding the principle of subsidiarity to ensure decentralization is not merely symbolic.

He concluded by urging the next generation of administrators to embrace these challenges, stressing that the success of decentralization is pivotal to balanced national development and bringing governance closer to the people.