Pan-African Statistics Program Concludes Strategic Communications Meeting in Casablanca

The Pan-African Statistics Program II (PAS II) wrapped up its two-day strategic meeting in Casablanca, bringing together nearly 70 participants from all across Africa to tackle the challenges of communicating official statistics, according to a press release.
The gathering is intended to improve the dissemination and accessibility of statistical data, a crucial tool for decision-making and governance.
Held under the theme “Towards a Better-Informed Africa: Enhancing the Communication of Official Statistics to Strengthen Transparency and Governance,” the conference  was organized as part of a partnership between the European Union and the African Union. It brought together communication experts, representatives from National Statistics Institutes (NSIs), and technical partners to share ideas and experiences.
Participants emphasized that effective communication of statistical data is vital for enhancing transparency, good governance, and informed decision-making.
The recommendations emphasized strengthening collaboration between statisticians and communications professionals, boosting the resources and capacities of NSI communications units, simplifying statistical data to enhance public accessibility, adopting user-centric approaches tailored to diverse audiences, and investing in modern digital tools for effective data dissemination.
Adoum Gagoloum, Head of the Economic Statistics Division at STATAFRIC, said, “Statistical communication is not just a technical challenge but a shared responsibility with profound implications for transparency, governance, and social progress.”
The strategic meetings also highlighted the importance of collaboration between countries to overcome shared challenges. Concrete actions were outlined to make statistical data more accessible, comprehensible, and relevant to policymakers, researchers, and citizens.
“The ideas and strategies developed here must now be translated into concrete actions that will shape the future of statistical communication across Africa,” Gagoloum added.
PAS II and STATAFRIC urged NSIs and their partners to actively implement the recommendations, reiterating their commitment to improving statistical communication across the continent.