Proposal Description

Africa is experiencing a rapidly changing data landscape driven by technological advancement, digital transformation, increased availability of administrative and alternative data sources, geospatial technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and growing demand for timely, granular and actionable evidence for development.
National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and National Statistical Systems (NSSs) are therefore increasingly required to move beyond traditional approaches to statistical production and embrace more integrated, innovative and responsive systems. While censuses and sample surveys remain fundamental sources of official statistics, their value can be significantly enhanced through the systematic integration of administrative data, statistical registers, geospatial information, digital data and other emerging sources.
This transformation presents significant opportunities for African countries to improve the timeliness, relevance, granularity, accessibility and policy value of official statistics. At the same time, it raises important challenges related to institutional coordination, data interoperability, methodological consistency, statistical quality, confidentiality, privacy, ethical use of data, skills, infrastructure and public trust.
The changing data environment also requires a rethinking of the role of NSOs. Rather than operating primarily as producers of statistical outputs, NSOs increasingly need to function as coordinators, standard-setters, integrators, quality stewards and trusted custodians of national statistical systems.
For African countries, strengthening coordination across the NSS is particularly important given the number of institutions involved in the production and use of official statistics. Effective coordination can reduce duplication, promote harmonisation of concepts, classifications and methodologies, facilitate data sharing and interoperability, and strengthen the overall quality and coherence of national statistics.
At the same time, innovations such as AI and machine learning offer new opportunities throughout the statistical production process, including data collection, coding and classification, data editing, anomaly detection, record linkage, modelling, forecasting, analysis and dissemination. However, their adoption must be accompanied by appropriate governance, methodological safeguards, transparency, accountability and human oversight to ensure that innovation strengthens rather than undermines public trust.
Against this background, the session “Transforming Official Statistics in Africa: Innovation, Integration and Trust” will bring together perspectives from national statistical coordination, statistical methodology, geospatial information and emerging technologies to explore how African statistical systems can respond to the changing data environment while maintaining the fundamental principles of official statistics.
The session will provide an opportunity to share African experiences, practical innovations and lessons learned with the international statistical community, while also examining how international developments can inform the continued transformation of African National Statistical Systems.
The session aims to:
• Examine how administrative data, surveys, censuses, geospatial information and emerging data sources can be integrated to improve official statistics.
• Discuss methodological approaches for producing more timely, granular, relevant and reliable statistics from multiple data sources.
• Explore the application of geospatial technologies and spatial statistics in strengthening the production and use of official statistics.
• Examine opportunities and challenges associated with AI and advanced data-science methods in official statistical production.
• Discuss approaches for ensuring that innovation and technological transformation are accompanied by strong statistical quality, ethics, confidentiality and data governance.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration between African and international statistical institutions.