3–5 December 2025 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The African Union Institute for Statistics (STATAFRIC) successfully organized the 19th annual session of the Committee of Directors General of National Statistical Offices (CoDGs) from 3 to 5 December 2025 at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
This year’s meeting was aligned with the African Union’s 2025 theme:
“Contribution of statistics to justice for Africans and People of African Descent through reparations.”
Participation
The session brought together Directors General and senior officials from 43 AU Member States, along with representatives from:
- Regional Economic Communities (RECs): AMU, CEN-SAD, COMESA, EAC, ECOWAS, IGAD, and SADC
- Pan-African Organisations (PAOs): AfCFTA, AMO, APRM, AU Commission, STATAFRIC, UNECA, and AfDB
- Statistical training centres: ENSEA, ESSAI, ENSEA-Dakar, ISSEA, Makerere University, University of Ibadan, IFORD
- International and development partners: World Bank, OECD, UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA, Eurostat, FAO, INSEE, Paris21, ILO, IOM, ATAF, Statistics Norway, Statistics Sweden, Expertise France, Data Act Lab, and others
The wide participation reflected strong continental and global support for strengthening Africa’s statistical systems.
Meeting Objectives
The 19th CoDGs focused on strengthening Africa’s statistical governance and addressed six key areas:
- Presentation of the SHaSA 2 Mid-Term Review
- Keynotes on the AU 2025 Theme on justice and reparations
- Follow-up on the implementation of the 18th CoDGs recommendations
- Status of signing and ratification of the African Charter on Statistics (ACS)
- Continental statistical coordination mechanisms
- Establishment of the STATAFRIC governance structure
Opening Session
Speakers emphasized the central role of statistics in:
- documenting historical injustices,
- guiding reparation policies,
- supporting inclusive development, and
- modernizing national and continental data systems.
UNECA, AfDB, the Gambia Bureau of Statistics, and high-level representatives of the AU Commission and the Government of Ethiopia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening statistical capacity and harmonization across Africa.
Bureau Elections
The following Bureau was elected for the 19th CoDGs:
- Chair: Zambia
- 1st Vice-Chair: Algeria
- 2nd Vice-Chair: Cameroon
- 3rd Vice-Chair: Tanzania
- Rapporteur: Senegal
Key Outcomes and Decisions
A. Mandates to STATAFRIC
The CoDGs mandated STATAFRIC to:
- Develop continental ethical data guidelines, especially on sensitive topics (ethnicity, race, historical injustices).
- Extend peer reviews of National Statistical Systems (NSS) and begin reviews for Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
- Prepare a comprehensive roadmap for the completion of SHaSA II and initiate the preparatory work for SHaSA III, including a guidance note and consultation plan.
- Strengthen the Open Data Portal as Africa’s reference tool for harmonized data sharing.
- Design and promote succession-planning frameworks to support continuity of leadership within NSS.
- Increase Africa's visibility in international statistical forums, including stronger engagement at the UN Statistical Commission.
B. Resolutions
The CoDGs committed to:
- Strengthening NSS to better measure inequality, discrimination, justice, and reparation-related indicators.
- Leveraging big data, digital tools, and AI in statistical production.
- Reporting progress regularly to ensure effective monitoring and accountability.
- Holding STATCOM and the 20th CoDGs consecutively in 2026 to increase efficiency and reduce duplication.
C. Recommendations
To AU Member States:
- Improve production and use of disaggregated data (gender, children, vulnerable populations).
- Establish a professional order for statisticians to ensure ethical and technical standards.
- Engage in partner-led initiatives for capacity building and methodological support.
- Sign and ratify the African Charter on Statistics (ACS).
To RECs, PAOs, and Partners:
- Support fragile and post-conflict states in strengthening statistical systems.
- Pilot projects on AI and emerging technologies in official statistics.
- Periodically assess partner initiatives for alignment with national needs.
- Nominate board members for STATAFRIC within three months.
STATAFRIC thanks all Member States, RECs, partners, and experts for their commitment to strengthening the African Statistical System and advancing statistics that support justice and inclusive development across Africa.
