Enhancing Africa's national statistical system is crucial

So the proper data is important as it helps Africa discuss issues around strengthening the capacity of Africa's national statistical system, especially in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa's 2063 Development Agenda.

Statistics is therefore the science concerned with developing and studying methods for collecting, analyzing, interpreting and presenting empirical data.  Any measurement or data collection effort is subject to a number of sources of variation. Types of statistics include descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. World Statistics Day is an international day to celebrate statistics. Created by the United Nations Statistical Commission,  it was first celebrated on 20 October 2010. The day is celebrated every five years.   

As of 2010, 103 countries celebrate a national Statistics Day, including 51 African countries that jointly celebrate African Statistics Day annually on 18 November.  India celebrates its statistics day on 29 June, the birthday of the statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.  The Royal Statistical Society in the UK also launched its getstats statistical literacy campaign on the same day’

The Statistics Commission for Africa (StatCom- AFRICA), on its sixth meeting held from 3rd – 4th October, 2018, had unanimously elected Tanzania to chair the forum for the period of 2018-2020.

The meeting which took place in Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa was officially opened by President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,   Mulatu Teshome Wirtu who underscored the importance of high quality statistics as a basis for the design and implementation of evidence-based policies at all levels.

The sixth meeting of the Statistical Commission for Africa was organised in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and agenda 2063: The Africa We Want of the African Union and was under the “Enhancing National Statistical System Capacity to Support Policies for Africa’s Economic Diversification and Industrialization”.

StatCom - Africa is the highest entity of the Africa Regional Statistical System and the highest decision making for Africa Statistical activities. It brings together Africa statistical community including heads of national statistical offices, regional statistical training centres, high levels experts and development partners supporting statistical development in Africa.

Tanzanian delegation to the meeting was led by Director General of National Bureau of Statistics Dr. Albina Chuwa. Others were Rector of Eastern Africa Statistical Training Centre Dr. Frank Mkumbo and acting director of economic statistics at NBS Daniel Masolwa.

During the meeting, delegates discussed the need for economic statistics in decision-making and for informing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The meeting also called member countries to commit more resources in conducting timely surveys necessary for compiling reliable economic statistics to facilitate effective policy making and decision-making.

The opening of the meeting was also graced by remarks from the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Dr. Abdallah Hamdok; the Chief of the National Accounts and Economic Statistics Section of the United Nations Statistics Division, Greg Scott, and Director of the Statistics Department of the African Development Bank, Charles Leyeka Lufumpa.

The Statistical Commission for Africa was established in 2005 at the joint annual meeting of the African Union Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The Commission operates within the framework of the United Nations policies and procedures, and is subject to the oversight of Economic Commission for Africa conference of African ministers of finance, planning and economic development.