"So manipuliert man mit Statistik" is the title the editors at Die Zeit put on it. This was a shortened version of piece originally written for the IPG-Journal.
African Symposium on Statistical Development
The 9th African Symposium on Statistical Development takes place from 17th to 21st February 2014 in Gaborone, remedy Botswana. I was invited by Pali Lehohla and I am really looking forward to a session on the "The facts and fiction of Africa’s statistics narrative"...
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From Bigger to Better? Data Quality in Aid and Development
Special issue on data and development in the World Politics Review out last week. Contributions from Claire Melamed, ed Jack Goldstone and I contributed a write up on the gaps in the macroeconomic statistics in some African countries.
Data and Accountability for the Post-2015 Development Agenda
Just came back from New York and the UNDP organized workshop and conference on Data and Accountability for Post-2015. You can browse the program and see some of the presentations here. My sense is that despite all the talk of a 'Data Revolution' many...
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Nordic Africa Days 2014
The call for papers for the Nordic Africa Days 2014 is out. It will take place on 26-27 September 2014 in Uppsala, Sweden. The keynote speakers at the event is Mo Ibrahim and yours sincerely. The topic is 'Misbehaving States and Behaving Citizens? Questions...
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Reading lists for 2014
In Foreign Affairs, health Nicolas van de Walle picks his top three books on Africa in 2013. Poor Numbers is one of the them. For review of the the other books, there on the ANC and on corruption in Nigeria, see here. Elsewhere, the...
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Poor Numbers on Bill Gates’ list of best books in 2013
On his blog The Gates Notes, Bill Gates features Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about It on his list of “The Best Books I Read in 2013.” Gates writes: “Jerven, an economist, spent four years...
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The politics of agricultural statistics
I am writing the first of a series of posts on Agriculture and Politics for the blog Democracy in Africa. I talk about some findings in a recent paper, and how it relates to the general political economy of statistics in poor countries. Some...
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African Studies Assocation Meetings in Baltimore
I am attending the African Studies Association Meetings in Baltimore this weekend. Friday November 22, 5:30-6:00 PM, I am doing a 'Meet the Author/Booksigning' event for Poor Numbers in the main exhibitor hall. I am also co-chairing a panel with Gareth Austin called "Historical...
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Africa at Dawn
That's the title of a recent editorial in the Financial Times. The editorial recounts the recent data debates. Most importantly, the FT editorial highlights how important it is to debate data openly and freely and this is in African countries' interest . Referring to...
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