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The most difficult task to be achieved in today\u2019s 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. \u00a0In may 2001 for instance, during a conference organised at the University of Amsterdam on the\u00a0Angolan 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. <\/span>However, warfare or political instabilities are not the only obstacle to access to genuine data in Africa. The (mis)behaviour of State\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n ********************<\/span><\/p>\n When statistics work for development!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 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. \u00a0Indeed, the 18th<\/sup> 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 \u201cthe important role statistics plays in all aspects of social and economic development in Africa\u201d.<\/p>\n The 2011 African Statistics Day was recently\u00a0celebrated under the theme \u201cKeeping Accounts to improve Africa’s Present for a Brighter Future\u201d.\u00a0 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 \u201chandbook\u201d containing key statistical data on Africa: the African Statistical Yearbook<\/strong><\/span>. The 2011 edition is actually available. It presents data on economic and social sectors which are indeed the most preoccupying in today\u2019s 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<\/span><\/strong> have been rigorously validated through trustworthy processes, under the supervision of by experts from different countries. The document is divided into the following parts:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>SOCIAL and DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Population<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mid-year population<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Population by age groups<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Economically active population<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Life expectancy, Crude birth and deaths rates<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Net reproduction rate<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Total fertility rate<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Education<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Teaching Staff at specific level<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Student enrolment at specific level<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Adult Illiteracy Rate<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pupil-Teacher ratio<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Public expenditure on education<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Health<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Acces to safe water<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>NATIONAL ACCOUNTES<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gross Domestic Product (GDP)<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 GDP by kind of economic activity (by sector)<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Expenditure on GDP General Government final consumption<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Private final consumption<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gross capital formation<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Exports and imports of goods and services<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>INFLATION<\/strong><\/p>\n 4. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n – Agricultural production<\/p>\n – Agricultural and food production index<\/p>\n 5. MINING PRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n 6. ENERGY<\/strong><\/p>\n – Electricity production<\/p>\n 7. <\/strong>TOURISM AND INFRASTRUCTURE<\/strong><\/p>\n 8. <\/strong>FINANCIAL AND MONETARY STATISTICS<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Monetary Statistics<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Money supply (M1)<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Quasi money<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Net foreign assets<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Domestic credit<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 International reserves<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Exchange rates<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Public Finance<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Revenue and grants<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tax revenue<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Non-tax revenue<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Grants<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Expenditure and net lending<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 External debt and Financial Flows\u2026<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 10.<\/strong> MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Environment<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)<\/p>\n