In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, African policymakers are embracing a transformative shift towards open data and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance development outcomes.
A recent workshop in Nairobi, jointly organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank Group (WBG) Academy’s Development Data Programme, and Open Institute Africa, revealed a notable evolution in attitudes. Initially wary of sharing machine-readable data due to concerns over misuse, participating officials from 10 countries left the event energised by the potential of open data to improve governance and resource allocation.
This momentum is being channelled into a strategic partnership between the AfDB’s Data Innovation Lab and the WBG Data Academy. The initiative aims to strengthen data governance, boost technical capacity across national institutions, and foster adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as AI. Recognising that data must now be not only machine-readable but also machine-understandable, the collaboration focuses on upskilling civil servants, researchers, and statisticians across the data lifecycle. By doing so, it seeks to unlock the full value of alternative data sources and accelerate data-driven innovation.
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The partnership has already borne fruit through regional engagements and country-specific support, including data governance diagnostics in Mozambique, a technical workshop for statisticians and health officials from 13 countries, and an upcoming Innovate Africa Symposium. These efforts contribute to a wider vision shared by multilateral institutions: an Africa where accurate, accessible data underpins every policy and programme.
While concerns about data misuse remain, the AfDB and World Bank emphasise the importance of building trust through robust safeguards. Their joint efforts aim not only to mitigate risks, but to inspire a continental shift where data becomes a foundation for inclusive, evidence-based progress in the digital age.
