DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 15 -- DATA has become one of the most valuable assets in the modern economy. Governments depend on it to formulate policies, allocate resources, collect taxes, deliver services and anticipate risks, while businesses use it to understand customers, manage risks, innovate and remain competitive.

As Tanzania accelerates digital transformation, however, a significant gap is emerging: The country is generating more data than ever, but its capacity to govern, integrate, protect and strategically use that data has not kept pace.

The challenge is no longer simply collecting information. It is ensuring that data is accurate, accessible to authorised users, protected from misuse, compatible across institutions and ultimately ...