Economic Benefits of Open Data in Africa - AfDB

"This report makes a number of recommendations to help Africa realize the economic potential of open data. Specifically, it calls for: greater knowledge sharing; the need to focus on creating and releasing key datasets; taking strategic steps to invest in 'African Information Infrastructure' alongside physical infrastructures; removing the barriers that governments encounter in implementing open data initiatives; and facilitating innovation and data-driven services geared to the needs of the continent.

The African Development Bank is already a leader in promoting and facilitating open data in Africa, especially through its Africa Information Highway (AIH) initiative. Indeed, the AIH was selected in 2015 by PARIS21 as one of the most innovative initiatives globally to enable and inform the Data Revolution. Similarly, in endorsing the enhancement of the General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS), which forms part of the IMF’s Data Standards Initiative, the IMF Board decided that the AIH’s Open Data Platform (ODP) would be used as the core data management and dissemination platform for African countries – a model to be emulated in all IMF developing member countries across the globe. This report illustrates how the Bank can build on this success and spearhead the drive to maximize economic benefits for Africa from open data and the implementation of the recent 'Africa Data Consensus.'"