For this special issue of Significance focusing on Africa, the editors’ aim was to showcase the work, perspectives, and priorities of African statisticians and the developments and opportunities in statistics and data science within the African context. They sought, first and foremost, contributions by African statisticians and data scientists but gave any high-quality submission consideration if it addressed pressing issues faced by African communities, civil society, governments, and organizations.
The authors and interviewees highlight a range of data-related issues. Some are universally recognized: the importance of inclusive, statistics-based policymaking; the value and funding of official statistics; and the challenges of a fragmented data landscape and digitization.
Other questions the authors in this issue raise are particularly pertinent to Africa: the agency of the continent and the opportunities to be recognized in the face of major developments, including US funding cuts. Stopping “brain drain” is also highlighted as a priority. And, yes, inevitably, AI crops up, too …
September 2025 Issue Highlights
Agricultural data: Why data collaboration is the key to tackling food insecurity across Africa
Modernizing examination management: Namibia is leading the way on digital transformation to benefit schoolchildren.
Reaching the right people: Improving social protection programs in Mali
Deforestation and satellite data: Evidence-driven decision-making in Cameroon
Citizen data: Data-gathering apps in Ghana and Kenya
Interview: Tinfissi-Joseph Ilboudo: Head of the African Centre for Statistics in Ethiopia
Interview: Muhammed Semakula: The medical statistician and senior civil servant in Rwanda
AI in Africa: Africa has “plenty of ideas, but little support,” says a Ugandan data scientist.
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