Africa: quality data access and decision making

Three North African countries namely Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria will be benefitting from the Open Data Platforms alongside other 17 other African countries  launched by the African Development Bank (AfDB). Upon completion of the project in July 2013, it is believed that quality data on Africa will be brought to the doorsteps of its users because member countries will be submitting their data to the bank and to other international development partners through it.
It will facilitate the availability of information to decision makers because it will increase access to quality data necessary for managing and monitoring development results in African countries, including the Millennium Development Goals.
The Open Data Platforms is part of the bank’s “Africa Information Highway” initiative to the sharing and management of information in the continent. It will facilitate the creation, visualization and sharing of customized reports in the forms of tables, charts and maps in different sectors. Member countries and their partners in development can analyze and share data.
Information on the platform will be derived from official sources locally and internationally. This will enable various users such as policymakers, analysts, researchers, business leaders and investors around the world can get access to reliable and timely data on Africa. They can also visualize time series development indicators over a period of time, perform comprehensive analysis at country and regional levels, utilize presentation-ready graphics or create their own, blog, and share their views and work with others, thereby creating an informed community of users.
The Open Data Platforms will change the way data is managed and distributed. Institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, EU Commission, World Health Organization, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Economic Commission for Africa are also poised to integrate into it.