Harmonization and Improvement of Statistics in West and Central Africa (HISWACA) officially launched during
DAKAR — In a region where over 60% of the population is under 25, maternal deaths remain among the world’s highest, and millions of births and deaths go unrecorded each year, one tool is desperately lacking: reliable data.
The numbers should speak for themselves—but too often, they don’t exist.
To close this critical gap, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched the Harmonization and Improvement of Statistics in West and Central Africa (HISWACA)—a bold, five-year initiative to transform how countries in the region collect, harmonize, and use data. Backed by the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC Canada), HISWACA aims to modernize national statistical systems, strengthen civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS), and lay the foundation for more inclusive and evidence-driven policymaking.
"This project is anchored in our core mandate and reflects our belief that data is not an end in itself. It is a tool to empower people, inform policy, and change lives," said UNFPA Regional Director Dr. Sennen Hounton. “HISWACA will help countries anticipate, adapt to, and benefit from demographic change through better use of disaggregated data and innovative technologies. Together, let us build a resilient, equitable, and prosperous West Africa.”
From food insecurity to education access, from gender equality to employment planning, accurate population data is no longer a technical detail—it’s a development imperative.
The urgency is clear: only 13 countries in West and Central Africa have conducted a census in the past decade. Birth registration rates remain as low as 47% in Central Africa, while death registration is even more incomplete. Without strong data systems, millions of people remain invisible to public policy, and major development efforts risk missing their targets.
This is why the African Development Bank sees digital innovation as key. In his keynote address, Louis Kouako, Manager, Economic and Social Statistics Division, African Development Bank, on behalf of Prof. Kevin Chika Urama, Chief Economist and Vice-President Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, African Development Bank Group called on governments and partners to act decisively.
“Harnessing technology is no longer optional but necessary for African countries to meet growing data demands efficiently and cost-effectively. Governments and development partners should scale up digital data collection tools,” Kouakou emphasized. “Administrative data, big data, and satellite imagery must be integrated into statistical systems—with safeguards for quality and privacy. The Bank’s Data Innovation Lab can help scale these tools, offering open platforms and technical guidance across sectors,” he said.
He added that investing in real-time CRVS systems and creating national platforms where policymakers and statisticians engage regularly will be essential to building a culture of evidence-based governance.
“The major approach to ensure we achieve our goals of sustainable development and resilience,” Kouakou concluded, “is to root every policy in evidence, every decision in data, and every investment in knowledge.”
M. Abdoullahi Beidou, Senior Economist at the World Bank reiterated the Bank’s long-standing contribution to strengthening data systems in Africa, in particular to improve the performance of national and regional statistical systems in Western and Central Africa, in line with the focus by national governments and the international community on management for development results.
Throughout the meeting, experts stressed that the success of HISWACA will depend not only on technical upgrades but also on political will, cross-border coordination, and institutional leadership. The engagement of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) is central to aligning concepts, definitions, standards, and priorities across the region.
Speaking on behalf of ECOWAS, Mohammed Yahaya, Director of Research and Statistics, emphasized the foundational role of demographic data in effective policymaking: “Population data constitute the foundation of all development efforts. Through civil registration systems and population censuses, individuals gain access to basic services like education and health, while governments obtain the reliable data needed to design effective public policies and drive sustainable development.”
On behalf of CEMAC, Roland Marc Lontchi Tchoffo, Directeur of Statistics, emphasized the strategic importance of reliable data for regional decision-making: “In an era where development, regional integration, and economic governance demand informed decisions, the availability of reliable, comparable, and up-to-date data has become a strategic priority. Harmonized indicators and interoperable systems are essential for effective regional policies.”
In addition to the HISWACA launch, the event highlighted the broader vision of UNFPA’s Regional Initiative on the Centrality of Population (RICoP), which explores the intersection between demographic dynamics, the Sustainable Development Goals, and megatrends such as climate change, urbanization, and migration in West and Central Africa. Both initiatives point to one shared truth: data is the foundation of sustainable, equitable, and resilient development.
