During the opening session of the event, there was an interactive dialogue on the SDGs report on Africa led by Lamin Manneh, Director of UNDP's Regional Service Center for Africa. And he said, the 2017 Africa regional report on Agenda 2063 and the SDGs assesses the continent’s performance in domesticating and implementing the two development frameworks since their adoption in 2013 and 2015 respectively. According to the report only 37.8% of the SDGs indicators have data. So a gargantuan of 62.2% of the indicators cannot be tracked in Africa because of lack of data.
The table below gives the highlight of percentage of indicators with data on each goal as well as the data gab available.
In the report, there are 139 indicators that require data in order to monitor and report on the relevant Goals and targets globally. Some of the SDGs have data for more than half the indicators, such as Goal 3 (69.2 %), Goal 7 (66.7 %), Goal 9 (66.7 %), Goal 8 (58.8 %), Goal 2 (57.1 %) and Goal 4 (54.5 %). On the other hand, there are no data for all the indicators under Goal 13.
Commenting on Data, Innovation and the required Technology to make the SDGs happen, Mr Lamnin Manneh Director of UNDP's Regional Service Center for Africa said the complex nature of the SDGs pose a lot of challenges in relation to monitoring. "Africa's data deficits are a constraint to performance to tracking on the SDGs and Agenda 2063 and evidence based policymaking" he added.
"Knowledge is power and the raw material of that knowledge is data" stated, Claire Melamed, Executive Director of Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. In fact, this assertion by Claire lay much emphasis on the importance of data and how it drives not just infrastructure development but also Human Development.
This data gab is a serious challenge but also a great opportunity for young people across the continent. Youth led organizations can start drawing strategies to focus on data generation. The most interesting fact about the SDGs is that it cut across almost all fields of interest. The only important thing is the capacity to generate the most accurate and reliable data that is of global standard.
Click here to download the Full Report on Africa's Sustainable Development
Author: Clifford
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In the report, there are 139 indicators that require data in order to monitor and report on the relevant Goals and targets globally. Some of the SDGs have data for more than half the indicators, such as Goal 3 (69.2 %), Goal 7 (66.7 %), Goal 9 (66.7 %), Goal 8 (58.8 %), Goal 2 (57.1 %) and Goal 4 (54.5 %). On the other hand, there are no data for all the indicators under Goal 13.
The report then states that, with the exception
of South Africa, which has the strongest national
statistical capacity on the continent, there is a huge data gab at the country level. Data production,
dissemination and use with respect to Goals
11-15 remain relatively weak in many countries. In
the United Republic of Tanzania, for example, most of
the indicators in these areas are new to the national
statistical system. A total of 27 indicators in these
areas require new data collection systems, with 11 of
them needing new systems with respect to Goal 15 alone.
"Knowledge is power and the raw material of that knowledge is data" stated, Claire Melamed, Executive Director of Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. In fact, this assertion by Claire lay much emphasis on the importance of data and how it drives not just infrastructure development but also Human Development.
It is also important to note that, one of the core principles of the SDGs is leaving no one behind. So if no one must be left behind then without the help of data the number of people behind cannot be deduced. Again, with the principle of inclusivity, without data those excluded in any policy implementation process cannot be ascertained. And all these undermine the principles of the SDGs.
The data gab is very frightening especially in African Countries where there are no systems in place to track some indicators. This places a huge responsibility on the majority of the population which is the young people. And one key outcome from the Africa Youth SDGs Summit is how the potentials of the youth can be harnessed to generate the required data for the SDGs implementation. Section 1 D of the communique sates that,
Data is critical to the SDGs implementation. Technology and the active participation of the youth can drive data revolution. CSOs and government initiatives must harness the creativity of youth to generate, analyze and use data for development.
Click here to download the Full Report on Africa's Sustainable Development
Author: Clifford
READ ALSO: UNDP Ignores PWDs
7 Facts You Must Know About AU's Agenda 2063
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