Special assistance to Portuguese-speaking African countries in the field of statistical training

Abstract

The Portuguese-speaking African countries, namely Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde Islands, Sao Tome & Principe, Angola and Mozambique, attained political independence only in 1975. Prior to 1975, there were only expatriates of the Portuguese National Statistical Institute in each of the countries concerned. The duty of these expatriates was to collect a few statistical data especially on foreign trade, and send them to Lisbon for processing and analysis. The conclusion of the discussion of the Directors of the STPA centers were first endorsed by the first Joint Conference of African Planners, Statisticians and Demographers held in March 1980, and then submitted to the sixth meeting of the ECA Conference of Ministers held in April of the same year.