Statistics in Africa: the big Challenge !
The most difficult task to be achieved in today’s Africa is the access to trustful data. At times, the national institutions in charge of statistics are not functional at all. Warfare or political instabilities generally cause dysfunctions in almost all sectors of the society. This is particularly true for countries which have been for a long time involved in internal conflicts. In may 2001 for instance, during a conference organised at the University of Amsterdam on the Angolan civil war, I approached a researcher coming from Luanda with the intention to have data on postsecondary education in Angola. He kindly advised me to abandon my research project because no trustful statistical data were available by that time in the country. However, warfare or political instabilities are not the only obstacle to access to genuine data in Africa. The (mis)behaviour of State’s officers also play a negative role. The most disappointing cases are those of African countries equipped with well functioning national institutions devoted to the production of statistics, but which chose not the respond to researchers in search of data. We have the souvenir of unanswered correspondences with the Cameroon’s office of Statistics. For these reasons, we find it important that one of our staff pays attention to this particular matter (statistics) and recall the importance of rigorous data collection and efficient data management in any development process./ Admin.
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When statistics work for development!
It is obvious today than never before in human history that no development process is conceivable without a trustful system of data collection, data storage and data management. Statistics are one of the key elements in any development process. Therefore, it is not surprising that African leaders devote yearly a day for Statistics. Indeed, the 18th November is the African Statistics Days (ASD). Initiated in 1990 by the Subsidiary Body of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Joint African Conference of Planners, Statisticians, and Demographers, the ASD aims at increasing the awareness of Africans about “the important role statistics plays in all aspects of social and economic development in Africa”.
The 2011 African Statistics Day was recently celebrated under the theme “Keeping Accounts to improve Africa’s Present for a Brighter Future”. Alongside the official ceremonies, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and its partners (African Development Bank, the African Capacity Building Foundation) also encourage the use of statistics in scientific research and governance. For this purpose, they annually produce a sort of “handbook” containing key statistical data on Africa: the African Statistical Yearbook. The 2011 edition is actually available. It presents data on economic and social sectors which are indeed the most preoccupying in today’s Africa. This publication has been produced not only on the base of national sources, but also on the ground of data provided by international organizations. The information contained in the African Statistical Yearbook 2011 have been rigorously validated through trustworthy processes, under the supervision of by experts from different countries. The document is divided into the following parts:
1. SOCIAL and DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS
– Population
– Mid-year population
– Population by age groups
– Economically active population
– Life expectancy, Crude birth and deaths rates
– Net reproduction rate
– Total fertility rate
– Education
– Teaching Staff at specific level
– Student enrolment at specific level
– Adult Illiteracy Rate
– Pupil-Teacher ratio
– Public expenditure on education
– Health
– Acces to safe water
2. NATIONAL ACCOUNTES
– Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
– GDP by kind of economic activity (by sector)
– Expenditure on GDP General Government final consumption
– Private final consumption
– Gross capital formation
– Exports and imports of goods and services
3. INFLATION
4. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
– Agricultural production
– Agricultural and food production index
5. MINING PRODUCTION
6. ENERGY
– Electricity production
7. TOURISM AND INFRASTRUCTURE
8. FINANCIAL AND MONETARY STATISTICS
– Monetary Statistics
– Money supply (M1)
– Quasi money
– Net foreign assets
– Domestic credit
– International reserves
– Exchange rates
– Public Finance
– Revenue and grants
– Tax revenue
– Non-tax revenue
– Grants
– Expenditure and net lending
– External debt and Financial Flows…
10. MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
– Environment
– Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
The African Statistical Yearbook 2011 is available at the present link:
http://www.uneca.org/eca_resources/Publications/books/AfricanSatatisticalYearbook2011.pdf, 03.12.2011
Author:
Florence TSAGUE ASOUOPGOUM
University of Siegen- Germany
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