A Global Context of Intensifying Competition
Gone are the days when one had to look back to Antiquity or the early modern era to highlight the importance of strategic monitoring and competitive intelligence (CI) in business. Today, the evidence is undeniable: “The global economy has become a battlefield where companies wage relentless and often invisible wars.”
Breaches of technological, financial, and strategic secrets have grown alarmingly frequent, to the point of becoming routine. In response, economic actors must adopt proactive measures to safeguard their information assets and ensure resilience—against both accidental risks and intentional threats.
Competitive Intelligence: A Tool for Foresight and Risk Mitigation
Competitive Intelligence addresses these challenges by enhancing foresight and enabling businesses to anticipate change. It empowers companies to envision multiple future scenarios and prepare accordingly. In a globalized, interconnected, and digitized world—rife with new forms of insecurity and invisible economic warfare—CI has emerged as a critical strategic tool.
CI can be defined as “a coordinated set of activities for the collection, processing, and dissemination of useful information to economic actors for strategic use.” This definition can be extended to position CI as one of the central instruments in economic warfare—a successor to Cold War-era geopolitical conflict in the post-Soviet landscape.
International Approaches to Competitive Intelligence
Over the past two decades, many countries have adopted national CI policies designed to equip businesses, academic institutions, research centres, and civil society organizations with the tools to manage strategic information and boost competitiveness. These policies often involve cross-sector coordination and significant investment in human capital and digital infrastructure.
Competitive Intelligence in Mauritania: State of Play
In Mauritania, CI remains in its infancy. Nevertheless, some promising steps are being taken—particularly at the governmental level. The organizational chart of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) includes the planned creation of a Strategic Advisory and Innovation Unit (USCI), reporting directly to the Minister.
Despite this, Mauritania currently lacks a formal public policy dedicated to CI. Unlike regional peers such as Morocco or Tunisia, the country does not yet have a central agency tasked with coordinating strategic monitoring, protecting national informational assets, or enhancing economic influence. However, several ad hoc initiatives suggest a growing awareness of the issue:
Notable Initiatives
Partnership with Oxford Business Group (OBG): In 2021, the Mauritanian Investment Promotion Agency (APIM) signed a memorandum of understanding with OBG to produce an annual country report. This report offers sectoral analysis and highlights investment opportunities—contributing to a form of economic intelligence.
Collaboration with international financial institutions: Reports published by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) provide in-depth economic assessments. While not specifically geared toward CI, these resources offer valuable data for strategic analysis and monitoring.
A Development Framework Cantered on Transparency and Open Data
Mauritania’s Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity (SCAPP) incorporates performance indicators largely inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A robust public open data policy would complement this strategy by facilitating the collection, centralization, and use of key strategic information.
Such an approach would also enhance collaboration with civil society organizations, which play a critical role in tracking SDG implementation and promoting accountability.
Commitments to Transparency
Adoption of a national anti-corruption strategy (December 2010);
Accession to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (October 2006);
Participation in international transparency mechanisms, including:
The BOOST program (Open Budget Initiative),
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI),
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI), launched in Nouakchott in February 2016;
Hosting of the African Union Conference on Transparency in 2015, which concluded with a resolution urging member states to ensure public access to information and strengthen accountability mechanisms.
Challenges to Address
Despite these encouraging developments, Mauritania faces several key obstacles in advancing its CI capabilities:
Lack of inter-institutional coordination: Weak synergy among public and private stakeholders limits the effectiveness of strategic monitoring and analysis efforts.
Limited CI awareness and culture: Many businesses—particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—lack the expertise and tools necessary for implementing competitive or technological intelligence.
Insufficient digital infrastructure: Effective CI systems rely on robust ICT infrastructure, which remains underdeveloped in many parts of the country.
Looking Ahead: What Are the Prospects?
To overcome these challenges, Mauritania could adopt a proactive and structured approach inspired by international best practices:
Develop a national competitive intelligence strategy: This would entail establishing a dedicated CI agency or coordination unit, investing in professional training, and fostering collaboration between public institutions and the private sector.
Build the capacity of local businesses: Awareness campaigns, technical assistance, and targeted training programs would help embed CI practices into business operations and decision-making.
Conclusion
Competitive intelligence in Mauritania is still in its foundational phase. While some institutional and international partnerships provide indirect support for its implementation, a coherent and comprehensive national strategy is urgently needed.
Establishing clear policies, building institutional capacity, and upgrading digital infrastructure will be essential to position CI as a true engine of competitiveness and economic sovereignty for Mauritania in the years ahead.
Dr Abdellahi Sabah Erebih
