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The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, convened a Regional Policy Forum on Data Policy and Governance in Africa. The policy forum, which was hosted at the Trademark Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya on 31st October 2024 convened policymakers, private sector leaders, researchers and practitioners, including representatives from the Central Bank of Kenya, the Kenyan National Treasury and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

The forum opened with remarks from Prof. Victor Murinde, Executive Director of AERC, who underscored the significance of data governance in economic development in the African continent. He highlighted the commitment of the AERC to evidence-based policy making noting the importance of convening the different stakeholders and actors to engage in conversations focusing on the outcomes of the completed collaborative research on Data Policy and Governance in Africa. “This workshop is timely as it comes at the brink of developing a 10-year strategic plan focused on AERC becoming the Locus of Research Excellency in Africa, relying on data in the transformation of the current Collaborative Masters and PhD programmes to incorporate continuous professional development for public policy actors and private sector practitioners.” Prof. Murinde stated. “Data analytics has transformed over the years from the generation of software for data processing and advancing, to the use of panel data, thus changing not only in the way data is handled but also the methodology of data analysis, including Artificial Intelligence and machine learning. Regarding the critical area of data governance in institutions, the AERC remains the locus of research with new evidence, perspectives and policy options.” Prof. Murinde also emphasized.

The AERC collaborative research project on Data Governance in Africa has produced 8 research papers that were presented in two parallel sessions. The papers covered areas such as Africa’s digital transformation through technological innovation, exploring interoperability platforms in Africa, governance of data and technology in Africa and their role in economic development, and the relationship between statistical capacity and government effectiveness, amongst others.

The forum featured a synthesis paper presentation by seasoned researchers, Prof. Izak Atiyas, Professor of Economic, Sabanci University, and Dr. Miriam Omolo, Executive Director, Africa Policy Research Institute on the title ‘Political Economy and Institutional Structure of Data Policy and Governance in Africa: Opportunity and Challenges’. The paper observed that many sectors utilize data and stressed the need for inclusivity when developing an adaptive data governance framework to ensure all sectors are represented.

The forum also included two panel discussions. The first one, featuring eminent data governance practitioners, was chaired by Mr. Benjamin Avusevwa, Director Statistical Coordination and Method, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. The panel included experts from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication in Cameroon, the Central Bank of Kenya, the Data Protection Commissioner Office in Kenya, the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment in Nigeria and the Department of Public Service and Administration in South Africa. The panel discussed the emerging political and structural issues around data governance, including aspects such as data protection, privacy and access for policy use.

The second panel session was moderated by Ambassador Prof. Bitange Ndemo. Kenyan Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union. The session featured representatives from the World Bank’s Data Management and Services Unit, the Kenyan National Treasury, the Central Bank of Kenya, the ICT Authority of Kenya, Smart Africa and the African Union-GIZ. The panelists addressed the importance of inclusive policy frameworks and support systems within institutions to strengthen and enhance good data governance practices across Africa.

Closing the policy forum, Prof. Abbi Kedir, Director of Research, AERC noted that the current project has built on the Phase I research that was completed in 2022. He added that the forum has presented opportunities for developing Phase III to address the identified gaps and investigate the opportunities, policy options and recommendations discussed. “The AERC appreciates the support from the Hewlett Foundation towards the project whose research documents the existing data management, assesses reforms, and recommends policy action pathways for a balanced data governance framework, while producing knowledge and evidence on data governance systems reforms in sub-Saharan Africa and actionable policy measures.” Prof. Kedir concluded.