The World Bank has approved 460 million dollars, or 282.5 billion CFA francs, for regional harmonization and the improvement of statistics in West and Central Africa. This funding will benefit Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and The

The Harmonization and Improvement of Statistics in West and Central Africa (PHASAOC) project will improve evidence-based decision-making, resource allocation, accountability, and transparency in a region with more than 120 million people living in extreme poverty. It aims to strengthen statistical capacities in order to improve the quality of data production, regional harmonization, access to and use of data, and the modernization of statistical systems in Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and The Gambia. This new project will also support the statistical divisions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and the African Union (AU) in order to better coordinate and improve the harmonization of statistics across the

According to Boutheina Guermazi, the World Bank's Director of Regional Integration for Africa and the Middle East, accurate, timely, and reliable data and statistics are essential for designing, implementing, and monitoring effective development policies and programs to accelerate poverty reduction, from promote equitable growth and combat climate change. “Quality data, comparable across countries, is also essential to foster regional economic integration and accelerate growth,” she said.

Responding effectively to user needs

While considerable efforts have been made to improve statistical capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, progress has been slow and uneven across countries. Most countries in West and Central Africa currently rank among the 40 percent worst performers globally according to the World Bank's new Statistical Performance Indicators (IPS), which assess the ability of a country's statistical system to meet user needs and contribute to improved decision-making

The availability of high-quality statistics is critical for the successful implementation of poverty reduction strategies, economic progress, and development results. Johan A. Mistiaen, World Bank Director of Practices for Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions for West Africa, emphasized that modern and efficient statistical systems that produce high-quality data are essential for improving living conditions and livelihoods. “This ambitious and innovative regional project will change the game by transforming the data landscape in West African economies and for their populations,” he said. A second phase of PHASAOC, currently under preparation, will cover Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon and the Republic of

by Félicien HOUESSOU