Africa's statistics and geospatial leaders meet in Addis Ababa to make data count for development

The tenth session of the Statistical Commission for Africa (StatCom-Africa) officially opened today at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, bringing together heads of national statistical offices, geospatial agencies, policymakers and development partners from across the continent.

The tenth StatCoM-Africa session is being held under the theme "Unleashing the Value of Data in Africa: making official statistics a true mirror of the continent”, is a timely opportunity to highlight the critical role of data and statistics in shaping policy, driving innovation and improving lives across the continent. The theme responds to a central challenge being experienced by member states: Africa is producing more data than ever, yet much of it is not integrated, trusted or used well enough to inform decisions and improve livelihoods.

StatCom-Africa is the highest decision-making body for statistics in Africa, responsible for setting statistical standards and developing the concepts and methods used at national, subregional and continental levels.

This year's session is held jointly with the twelfth meeting of the Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Africa (UN-GGIM: Africa), under the theme "Seeing Africa Clearly: Unleashing Africa's Spatial Intelligence for Integrated, Trusted and Actionable Data." The week also includes the twelfth session of the Forum on African Statistical Development (FASDEV).

Officially opening the session, President Taye Atske Selassie, of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, highlighted the importance of measuring development through reliable data. He called for statistical systems that are responsive, trusted and fit for an increasingly digital future. Similarly, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Rwanda, Mr. Yusuf Murangwa, stressed that strong statistical systems are essential to addressing Africa's development challenges. He called for investment and collaboration to ensure that data translates into tangible results.

Claver Gatete, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), called for stronger, better financed and more inclusive statistical systems across Africa. "Data is not an end in itself. Its value lies in informing decisions, reaching underserved communities, and creating opportunities for inclusive growth," said Mr. Gatete. He pointed to the labour market as an example of why better measurement matters. Africa's unemployment rate stood at 6.3 per cent in 2025, yet 84.4 per cent of employment was informal, showing that unemployment figures alone cannot capture the realities of work on the continent. He urged countries to modernise census and civil registration systems, safeguard statistical integrity as new technologies are adopted, integrate statistical and geospatial data, and provide predictable financing for national statistical systems. He said ECA, through its African Centre for Statistics, will work with national statistical offices and partners to mobilise that financing.

By the close of the session on 23 October, delegates aim to agree on commitments that turn Africa’s growing wealth of data into better decisions and better lives across the continent.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).