The data revolution must be harnessed to achieve SDGs in North Africa, says ECA’s Hachem Naas

Abstract

“Data revolution is not a myth. It is real and must be harnessed to support our structural transformation initiatives in North Africa,” said Lilia Hachem Naas, ECA Director for North Africa. After four days of intense debates and discussions on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), migration, blue economy, and the role of good quality data in achieving the SDGs and Agenda 2063, the ECA official stated “it delights me to note that our member states understand and agree to improve and use data as a vital tool for sustainable growth.” At the end of their deliberations, the experts recommended that ECA should support North African countries to modernize their legal and regulatory frameworks as well as inter institutional relations to enable national statistical systems to respond to the new demands and opportunities offered by the data revolution.