The African Development Bank’s Statistics Department, in partnership with the African Union Institute of Statistics (STATAFRIC), the Africa Centre for Statistics of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and other international organizations, hosted a regional workshop on Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) and the Bank’s Open Data Platform 2.0 (ODP 2.0). Held in Addis Ababa from 21 to 25 July 2025, the week-long event gathered over 40 participants from 16 countries, along with delegates from key global institutions including the IMF, World Bank, FAO, and Paris21. The workshop provided hands-on training in SDMX to strengthen data management and dissemination for evidence-based policymaking.
SDMX, now a leading global standard for statistical data exchange, allows for greater efficiency, automation, and integration across statistical systems at national, regional, and global levels. Its adoption in Africa is expected to enhance the reliability and comparability of official statistics across the continent. The training also featured technical sessions on ODP 2.0, an upgraded SDMX-native version of AfDB’s Open Data Platform, designed under the Africa Information Highway initiative. This platform supports interoperability, accessibility, and readiness for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
In opening remarks, AfDB, UNECA, and STATAFRIC representatives reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate SDMX adoption across Africa and pledged closer collaboration with Regional Economic Communities for effective implementation. The event also showcased Africa’s progress in open data, as reflected in the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) 2024–2025 report. The number of African countries scoring above 60 out of 100 rose from two in 2020 to ten in 2025, with Morocco, Burkina Faso, and Senegal surpassing 70 points and ranking among the world’s top 35 performers. Between 2022 and 2024, Africa recorded the highest regional improvement, with a 23% increase in average ODIN scores.
The workshop underscored the growing momentum among African nations to modernize their data ecosystems, enhance statistical capacity, and promote inclusive development through accessible, high-quality data.
