AfDB, Partners Advance SDMX Adoption and Open Data in Africa at Addis Workshop

The workshop provided hands-on training to strengthen participants’ capacity in data management, interoperability, and dissemination—essential elements for evidence-based policymaking across the continent.

The African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Statistics Department, in partnership with the African Union Institute of Statistics (STATAFRIC), the Africa Centre for Statistics of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and a range of international partners, has successfully concluded a week-long Regional Workshop on Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) and the Bank’s Open Data Platform 2.0 (ODP 2.0).

Held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 21 to 25 July 2025, the event gathered more than 40 participants from 16 African countries, alongside representatives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Paris21, and four regional statistical institutions. The workshop provided hands-on training to strengthen participants’ capacity in data management, interoperability, and dissemination—essential elements for evidence-based policymaking across the continent.

SDMX: A Global Standard for Data Exchange

SDMX has emerged as a leading international standard for the exchange of statistical data and metadata, enabling automation, standardization, and integration between national, regional, and global statistical systems. Its adoption in Africa promises to enhance data reliability, comparability, and efficiency, reducing duplication and improving the timeliness of official statistics.

Participants explored practical applications of SDMX for their national statistical systems, learning how to integrate the standard into existing workflows to support data-driven governance.

ODP 2.0: Driving Africa’s Open Data Transformation

The workshop also introduced ODP 2.0, the SDMX-native version of AfDB’s Open Data Platform, developed under the Africa Information Highway initiative. This upgraded platform enables countries to:

• Improve interoperability between data systems.

• Enhance accessibility of official statistics for the public, researchers, and policymakers.

• Prepare for integration with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and advanced analytics.

Through in-depth technical sessions, participants learned how ODP 2.0 can serve as a centralized, user-friendly portal for national data dissemination, fostering transparency and accountability.

Strong Institutional Commitment

In opening remarks, representatives from AfDB, UNECA, and STATAFRIC reiterated their shared commitment to accelerate SDMX adoption in Africa. They pledged to work closely with Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to ensure smooth and effective implementation, providing technical assistance, peer learning opportunities, and ongoing support.

The event also underlined the importance of regional cooperation in building statistical capacity, as countries move toward harmonized data standards that facilitate cross-country comparisons and regional integration.

Africa’s Rising Performance in Open Data

The workshop celebrated Africa’s recent progress in open data practices, as highlighted in the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) 2024–2025 report, which evaluates 197 countries and was released in April 2025. Key achievements include:

• Ten African countries scored above 60/100 in ODIN 2024–2025, up from just two in 2020.

• For the first time, three African countries—Morocco (77.3), Burkina Faso (76.8), and Senegal (75.3)—scored above 70/100, ranking among the world’s top 35 performers.

• Between 2022 and 2024, all regions showed improvement, but Africa recorded the highest regional score increase at 23%, reflecting broad-based advancements in open data systems.

Toward Modernized, Inclusive Data Ecosystems

By combining global standards like SDMX with powerful dissemination tools such as ODP 2.0, African countries are modernizing their data ecosystems, improving statistical capacity, and supporting inclusive, evidence-based development.

The Addis Ababa workshop represents a milestone in these efforts, creating momentum for wider adoption of open data standards and reinforcing the role of reliable statistics in achieving the continent’s development priorities, from the African Union’s Agenda 2063 to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.