The Pan African Statistical Centre (PANSTAT) successfully delivered its first continental training programme on leadership in official statistics, marking a key milestone in advancing statistical capacity development across Africa.
Organized in collaboration with STATAFRIC, INSEE (France), and AFRISTAT, the training brought together faculty members, programme coordinators, and leaders from African statistical training centres. The initiative aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, emphasizing the strategic role of leadership in strengthening National Statistical Systems (NSS) and improving the production of high-quality, timely, and policy-relevant data.
The programme adopted a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) approach, ensuring sustainability by equipping participants with both conceptual knowledge and practical tools to design and deliver leadership training within their institutions. This contributes to embedding leadership as a core component of statistical education across the continent.
Key thematic areas included governance of official statistics, coordination mechanisms within NSS, communication of statistical results, and the use of data in policymaking. Participants explored practical approaches to “make numbers speak” through data storytelling, policy briefs, and effective communication strategies.
The training also addressed interpersonal and collective leadership, highlighting the importance of networking, empowerment, stakeholder engagement, and institutional buy-in. Leadership was presented as a process grounded in character, competence, and commitment, essential for driving change within statistical systems.
A strong emphasis was placed on interactive and practice-oriented learning. Through group work, collaborative discussions, and hands-on exercises, participants applied theoretical concepts to real-world challenges and developed draft training modules and curricula tailored to their institutional contexts.
The workshop resulted in enhanced collaboration among African statistical training institutions and strengthened participants’ capacity to act as both leaders and trainers. It also contributed to a shared vision for integrating leadership development into statistical curricula across Africa.
As PANSTAT’s inaugural training, this initiative positions the Centre as a continental hub for statistical training and capacity development for professional and Expert from AU MS. It further reinforces the African Union’s commitment to strengthening human and institutional capacity and promoting statistical harmonization among Member States.
Building on this success, PANSTAT plans to support existing statistical training center across Africa and expand its training portfolio to include data governance and emerging themes for African Statistical Systems. These efforts will support the effective implementation and monitoring of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
By investing in leadership development, PANSTAT and its partners are contributing to a more resilient, coordinated, and impactful African statistical system, capable of supporting evidence-based policymaking and sustainable development across the continent.
