Next week, starting October 19, in Addis Ababa, heads and staff of African national statistical offices will meet for the 10th session of the Statistical Commission for Africa and the 12th session of UN-GGIM-Africa. We’re taking part in five side events with partners. Each looks at a different part of what statistical offices need to take on a bigger role in their countries’ data systems, as AI, new data sources, and rising demand for evidence change their work.
All five sessions take place in person and can also be followed online.
Pan-African Water Hub: AI and Satellite Data for Water Monitoring and Decision Support
Monday 19 October, 10:45 to 13:00 Addis Ababa time | Conference Room 6, United Nations Conference Centre
Hosted by the African Center for Statistics, UNECA
The Pan-African Water Hub is an open-source platform that combines satellite data, climate models and ground observations to track drought, floods, water availability and water quality at national, river-basin and subnational levels. It also includes a policy brief generator that uses AI to turn validated evidence into policy insights, with people reviewing the output. This session includes live demonstrations of the platform, with contributions from ILRI, Digital Earth Africa and UNECA, followed by a discussion on data partnerships and adoption across African countries. Molla Hunegnaw Asmare of UNECA moderates, and Victor Ohuruogu, Africa Regional Lead at the Global Partnership, closes the session with key takeaways.
Register to follow online
Making everyone count: Citizen data for inclusive official statistics in Africa
Monday 19 October, 16:30 to 17:30 Addis Ababa time | United Nations Conference Centre
Co-hosted with UNSD, UNECA and UN Women through the Collaborative on Citizen Data
Persons with disabilities, residents of informal settlements, remote communities and displaced people are often underrepresented in the data official statistics depend on. Citizen data can help close that gap. It brings information produced by communities into national statistical systems through partnerships between statistical offices, civil society and local communities. Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi and Lesotho are among the countries already using it to strengthen SDG monitoring. Panelists from IIRR Ethiopia, Lesotho and PARIS21 discuss where citizen data in Africa should be heading, followed by an open conversation with statistical offices about the opportunities and obstacles. Karen Bett of the Global Partnership moderates the event.
Event details and online registration
From experimentation to impact: How African NSOs are using AI, machine learning and data science to modernize official statistics
Monday 19 October, 16:30 to 17:30 Addis Ababa time | Conference Room 6, United Nations Conference Centre
Co-hosted with UNECA
Over the past few years, several African NSOs have built data science teams and the computing capacity to support them. This session looks at what happens once the pilot is over. Data science leads from the NSOs of Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Senegal each present one real use case, the value it delivered and the biggest obstacle to scaling it. Telecom operators discuss how their data can support public policy while protecting privacy. Prof. Sam Annim, Director of ACS-UNECA, chairs the session, and Victor Ohuruogu, Africa Regional Lead at the Global Partnership, moderates the country exchange.
Event details and online registration
Partnerships for stronger national statistical systems: Unlocking the potential of administrative data
Tuesday 20 October, 14:00 to 16:00 Addis Ababa time | United Nations Conference Centre
Co-hosted with Ghana Statistical Service and the Collaborative on Administrative Data (UNSD, the Global Partnership and UN Women)
Ministries and agencies already keep records that could fill many gaps in official statistics. Getting those records into statistical production depends on data-sharing agreements built on trust and clear legal footing. Ghana has signed memoranda of understanding with 25 ministries, departments and agencies, and opens the session by sharing how it got there. Statistical offices from across the region then discuss what has worked and where countries tend to get stuck, in a panel moderated by Karen Bett of the Global Partnership. The session also introduces practical tools from the Collaborative on Administrative Data for assessing legal frameworks and improving coordination within national statistical systems.
Event details and online registration
Leading the future of data in Africa: Institutionalizing leadership for modern, AI-ready national statistical systems
Tuesday 20 October, 16:15 to 17:30 Addis Ababa time | CR 4, United Nations Conference Centre
Co-hosted with ACS-UNECA and PARIS21
Heads of NSOs are now expected to lead entire national data systems and make the case for official statistics in national AI and digital plans. This dialogue brings NSO heads together, beginning with the Directors General of Botswana and Senegal, to agree on the leadership skills that matter most now. It also looks at how leadership training can become a lasting part of African statistical institutions rather than depending on individual projects. The session closes with a discussion of a proposed African NSO Leadership Exchange Platform, so the exchange can continue after the conference.
Event details and online registration
