The coverage of the debate on African statistics continues, most recently in the Globe and Mail. I am also pleased to see that it is not only politics and media that gets stirred by the book. Recently, Poor Numbers, got coverage in Significance, which is...
Read more ›
African Statistics Day
Did you know that November 18 was African Statistics Day? Jason Braganza of Development Initiatives with his view of what he thinks is required for meet the objective of "Quality Data to support African Progress."
New Afrobarometer results further question the ‘Africa rising’ narrative
In Poor Numbers I suggested that many African economies are not growing as fast as the official statistics will have us think, and that we know too little to judge what is happening actually to living standards and poverty in the aggregate. As John...
Read more ›
Doing Bad….
I was asked by H-net Diplo to review Coyne's book. Doing Bad by Doing Good is the title. Coyne takes his inspiration from Mandeville and the fable of the bees. If you know the fable you already know how Coyne's book goes. I was not...
Read more ›
What kind of ‘data revolution’ do we need?
There has been talk of a data-revolution. We are not quite sure what it would look like yet. Here are my 'five fundamental propositions' for a data revolution in development. 1. We need to focus on data supply, not only on global data demand....
Read more ›
Leiden African Studies Center Annual Public Lecture
I have given many talks this year, medicine but I am the most proud to have been asked to give the first annual public lecture at the African Studies Center in Leiden. It takes place on 7 November 2013, stomach 18.30 - 20.00 Pieter...
Read more ›
News in African Economic History
The African Economic History Network, no rx founded in 2011, just published its 10th Bimonthly Newsletter - summarizing new research and opportunities in African Economic History. The first African Economic History Working paper sets out the aims and objectives of the network, and there...
Read more ›
The African Investigative Journalism Conference
This morning I addressed a key audience at The African Investigative Journalism Conference. Journalists are a key stakeholder in order hold producers and disseminators of data accountable. More generally, patient I think a lot of good could come out of training of local journalists...
Read more ›
African Economic Data and Investors
The Financial Times focus on what the recent Africa data debates means for investors. The Africa report maps that different statistical offices have reacted to the debates in quite different ways. In the blog Bottom Up Thinking the author notes that the access to...
Read more ›
Towards Better Economic Policy Making: Strengthening Africa’s Data
That's the title of the IMF seminar I am speaking at during the Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank this weekend. It takes place on Friday, October 11th, 11:30 am – 1:00pm in the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University. As far...
Read more ›