Africa data revolution report 2016 : highlighting developments in African data ecosystems

Abstract

This first edition of the biennial Africa Data Revolution Report aims to address issues in transforming data ecosystems. It maps the current system in terms of purpose, actors, principles and protocols; legal, legislative and policy frameworks; technological infrastructure, tools and platforms; and dynamic interactions between purposes, technologies and systems. Official statistics (what and who gets counted) can be and have been used as tools for social, economic and political exclusion and segregation in Africa, especially under colonial and apartheid rule. The report makes recommendations regarding what actions African countries can take to maximize the positive, and mitigate potentially negative impacts of the data revolution.