Statistics Experts Concerned by Slow Progress
By Cristina Muller, ESPD/ECA, 26 April 2005

Addis Ababa, 26 April 2005 - Despite considerable efforts, the development of African statistics still has a long way to go, experts said on Sunday.

Members of the Annual Advisory Board on Statistics in Africa (ABSA), meeting at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, noted that collection, processing and dissemination of African statistical data were well off-target.

They held their discussions – the second ever such gathering – ahead of the Committee on Development Information (CODI) meeting that opened at the weekend. CODI is ECA’s statutory organ for statistics and information.

The experts looked at the implementation record of 20 resolutions adopted by the group last year, aimed at establishing a comprehensive statistical framework for Africa. They also discussed future plans.

“It’s very important that ABSA meet back-to-back with CODI, since we are getting fresh advice from our experts on how and if the recommendations made last year were implemented, as well as what could be done to improve performance,” said Dimitri Sanga, ECA’s chief statistician.

The outcome will feed into ECA’s Conference of African Ministers, which will take place in Abuja, Nigeria next month.

As an advisory panel for African statistics, ABSA is a sounding board for ECA and its member states.

ECA has been particularly encouraged to bring African statisticians to international forums, especially in the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

“In this meeting we are holding ourselves to account on what should have been done, what in fact was done, and the way forward,” Sanga said.