Six African countries complete national data strategies under AU programme
Date: 2025-12-23
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Six
African countries have completed their national data strategies under the
African Union’s national data policy technical assistance programme, as
progress updates were shared during the conclusion of the Validation Workshop
for the AU Data Policy Frameworks.
The completed national data strategies are from The Gambia, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Mozambique. The update provided an overview of ongoing efforts by member states to align national data governance frameworks with the African Union Data Policy Framework.
According
to the progress report presented at the closing session, three additional
countries are nearing completion of their national data strategies, while 11
countries are currently in the drafting or implementation phase. A further 11
countries are awaiting inception workshops or follow-up engagements as part of
the programme.
The
African Union said the technical assistance programme plays a critical role in
strengthening national data ecosystems across the continent. It is aimed at
building institutional capacity, improving data governance, and supporting
harmonisation with continental data policy objectives.
Member
states that have completed the process were commended for their progress, while
others were encouraged to update their status, confirm participation, and
actively engage to accelerate collective implementation. The AU noted that
advancing coordinated data policy implementation is essential to achieving an
interoperable and integrated digital future for Africa.
