Study of data collection procedures

The problem of inconsistency of African data is not new. The determination of the nature and severity of this phenomenon, however, has become of much concern to interestedobservers. The appropriateness of this concern is reinforced by the need of African countries for timely and accurate data in order to ensure the successful implementationof their economic reform programmes. In this regard, current research has pointed out wide divergences in African data published by various international organizations aswell as the central statistical organizations and other public agencies in each country. As part of the concerted efforts to identify the major causes of the data problem, this study identifies the similarities and major differences in data generating and managementactivities among selected organizations. Two data-generating agencies in Nigeria were also covered because a preceding study, whose findings prompted this research, wasbased on Nigeria as a case study. The findings suggest wide divergences in definition and measurement of concepts adopted by these organizations. The widespread nonrenditionand/or the inadequacy of returns by African member countries to the internationaland multilateral institutions also necessitate reliance on staff estimates as substitutes for missing data. These largely account for the significant differences in data on identicalindexes reported on the same country by these organizations. The report therefore suggeststhe development and enforcement of generally accepted statistical procedures. It also advocates the identification and satisfaction of data-related capacity needs of each African country.