The Statistical Commission for Africa, the continent’s highest statistical decision-making body, will hold its tenth session under the theme “Unleashing the value of data in Africa: making official statistics a true mirror of the continent”. Heads of national statistical offices, regional institutions, development partners and other data stakeholders will discuss how to make official statistics more relevant, inclusive, trusted and used, with a focus on measuring inequalities, vulnerabilities and territorial disparities, so that no population group remains invisible.

The theme reflects a central challenge: Africa is producing more data than ever, but statistics only create value when they offer a credible and inclusive picture of society. Official statistics must go beyond national averages to reveal disparities, vulnerabilities and inequalities, since they cannot be fully harnessed if some territories or population groups remain invisible or poorly measured. At the same time, new sources such as mobile phone, satellite, administrative and citizen data are reshaping the data landscape, making the coordinating and validating role of national statistical offices more important than ever.

Participants will discuss data as a strategic economic asset, the credibility and governance of official statistics, the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence, and the integration of statistical and geospatial information. The session is expected to endorse strategic directions for better measuring inequalities and vulnerabilities, build consensus on an integrated governance framework for data and statistics in Africa, and identify priorities for safeguarding trust and independence. The twelfth meeting of the UN-GGIM Regional Committee for Africa will run in parallel, and preliminary and side events will take place on 19 and 20 October.