Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has urged African leaders to prioritize data when making decisions in order to combat terrorism and climate change.
Madam Sirleaf stated that Africa "requires a strong international effort to address the peace and security now threatened by terrorism and a return to military action to achieve political goals".
"There are still other challenges, like climate change, and emerging transactional risks, like artificial intelligence," she emphasized. The necessity for international collaboration in action to ensure data promotion and protection in a rapidly digitizing world as well as to promote gender equity and justice for people's involvement, including women and girls, may be more crucial.
This statement was given by the former president during the inauguration of Afrobarometer's 10th round of national surveys. Afrobarometer is a pan-African research network whose goal is to make citizen voices an important component of African government.
The success of African development and policy decision-making, according to Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and member of Afrobarometer's International Advisory Council, depends on having access to timely data. In order to assess progress, identify areas for intervention, and make well-informed decisions that might have an impact on the lives of millions of people, she said data was a crucial tool for policymakers and development practitioners.
According to Madam Johnson, Africa has long struggled to obtain and make use of timely data, which has made it difficult for the region to adequately track development.
According to her, the absence of timely data has frequently resulted in the adoption of inefficient policies and the persistence of disparities. At all societal levels, there needs to be a deeper understanding of the value of timely data. This entails creating public awareness campaigns that emphasize the significance of data in the context of African development as well as setting up procedures to guarantee that data are successfully used to guide policies. She made a point.
She urged African countries to increase their investments in data infrastructure and capacity building, including the acquisition of necessary tools and technology as well as the development of technical and human capacity for data collection, management, and analysis. She also praised Afrobarometer's efforts in building a forum for African residents to express their thoughts and concerns, as well as for encouraging throughout Africa a culture of openness, responsibility, and active citizenship.I must also mention another important facet of your work that touches my heart: your commitment to advancing social inclusion and equality.
"Through your surveys, you gather data on topics like attitudes towards minorities and marginalized people, access to healthcare, education, and other fundamental services. We all recognize the positive impact that such information may have on advancing social justice, reducing inequality, and fostering an inclusive and fair society. She tensed up.
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