Africa Development Bank launches Open Data platform: Business and Finance-africareview.com

"In an effort to improve data management on the continent, the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) has launched an open data platform for 20 African countries. The facility will host data from selected countries; Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Republic of Congo, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. However, this is just a start. Platforms for the rest of the country are expected to be complete by July 2013. Users will easily acess a wide range of data from from the AfDB portals on a wide range of research topics including agriculture, economics, demography, education, environment, energy among others. According to the regional financial body, the open data platform is part of a greater plan to create an African Information Highway, which involves creating and installing a common Information Technology platform in all 54 countries and 16 sub-regional and regional organisations in Africa. According to AfDB, this portal will 'establish live data links between the Bank and National Statistical Agencies, Central Banks and Line Ministries in African countries, on one hand, and linking the countries with each other and with other external development partners, on the other' ... Global plan ...  The data platforms will be especially useful to researchers and potential investors who are looking to invest in Africa. Looking at the South Sudan open data page for example, one can access statistical data on the country such as unemployment rate, adult literacy and population density. The idea of establishing the platform is part of a global effort articulated in the Busan Action Plan for Statistics (BAPS) and endorsed by the international community. Other organisations with similar interactive data portals include the World Bank and and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ..."