Biographie
Born in Dakar on September 25, 1982, Mr. Cheikh BAKHOUM is a graduate engineer from the École Supérieure d’Informatique Electronique et Automatique de Paris, with highest honours.
From 2007 to 2009, Mr. BAKHOUM first worked as a Consulting Engineer at Accenture in France, notably for a tier-1 automotive equipment supplier present in 19 countries across 100 sites, before returning to Senegal in 2009 to start his own IT engineering services company.
In July 2012, he joined the Office of the President of the Republic as Technical Advisor and Head of the IT Service of the Presidency of the Republic.
In August 2014, Mr. BAKHOUM was appointed Director General of the State IT Agency (ADIE) by the President of the Republic, Macky SALL, a position he held until March 2022. In this role, he was appointed a member of the Board of Directors of the Personal Data Protection Commission in 2014 and elected in November 2016 as Chairman of the Board of Directors of SENIX (Senegal’s Internet Exchange Point).
A major player in Senegal’s IT sector, he also oversees high-impact digital programmes and projects that contribute to achieving the goals of the Senegal Digital Strategy 2025 (SN2025). In this capacity, he serves as Director of the Smart Senegal Programme, which led to the construction of a national data centre in Diamniadio and the establishment of digital spaces called « Sénégal Services » in all departments of Senegal to bring the administration closer to the people.
On March 9, 2022, during a meeting of the Technical Supervisory Cabinet, Mr. Cheikh BAKHOUM was officially appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of the new national company Sénégal Numérique S.A (SENUM SA), whose creation was authorised by Law No. 2021-39 of December 13, 2021, replacing the State IT Agency (ADIE).
The new company’s missions are to coordinate the management, technical and commercial operation of the State’s digital infrastructure and platforms, as well as the implementation of the State’s IT policy.
This major reform was driven by the pressing need to maintain and enhance the significant investments made by the State of Senegal in its digital infrastructure, which it considers essential for the country’s economic and social development and for providing innovative, high-quality public services.
The latest project he is currently overseeing, entrusted to him by the authorities—Structural Support for the Territorial Development Strategy (PASSANT)—aims to significantly expand, strengthen and improve the quality of the administrative Intranet infrastructure. It will enable connectivity in border areas, digitally open up hard-to-reach areas, consolidate the national fibre-optic network and improve local and territorial governance.
