Last week I had the privilege of representing WorldPop at the Tenth Session of the Statistical Commission for Africa (StatCom-Africa) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Bringing together leaders from national statistical offices, governments, regional organisations and development partners, the event provided an important opportunity to discuss how high-quality data and modern statistical systems can support development across the continent.
The theme of this year’s meeting, Unleashing the value of data in Africa: making official statistics a true mirror of the continent, resonated strongly with WorldPop’s mission. Reliable population data are fundamental to effective planning, whether for healthcare, education, infrastructure investment or emergency response.
A particular highlight for me was delivering two WorldPop side events focused on the future of census modernisation. The first explored the challenges countries face in digitising census operations as preparations begin for the 2030 round of population and housing censuses. The second brought together experts and decisionmakers to discuss the institutional arrangements and partnerships needed to make census modernisation successful and sustainable by localising capacity across the continent.
What stood out throughout the week was the shared commitment among national statistical offices to improving how population data are collected, managed and used. While countries face different challenges, many of the conversations centred on common priorities: embracing artificial intelligence within national statistical systems, better integration of statistical and geospatial data, strengthening local capacity and ensuring that data remain accessible, timely and relevant for decisionmakers.
The event also provided valuable opportunities to meet with representatives from national statistical offices and development organisations from across Africa. These discussions covered a wide range of topics, including opportunities to establish regional hubs for WorldPop methods, ongoing collaboration in Ethiopia and partnerships with organisations such as UNFPA across eastern and western Africa.
For me, one of the greatest strengths of StatCom-Africa is its ability to bring together people with a shared goal: improving the evidence available to guide decision-making. Events like this allow us to learn from one another, exchange practical experiences and build the partnerships needed to address increasingly complex challenges.
As countries look ahead to the 2030 census round, collaboration will be more important than ever. WorldPop remains committed to working alongside national statistical offices and partners across Africa to help ensure that everyone has access to the population data needed to support informed decisions and sustainable development.
The conversations and connections made in Addis Ababa reinforced the importance of this work. I left encouraged by the ambition, expertise and commitment on display, and excited about the opportunities ahead to continue supporting census modernisation and stronger statistical systems across the continent.
