Ouagadougou: The National Institute of Statistics and Demography (INSD) has announced that Burkina Faso has achieved a commendable ranking in the 2024 Open Data Watch world ranking. The country has been placed 1st in West Africa and 2nd on the African continent, trailing only behind Morocco, for its efforts in the production and dissemination of open statistical data.

According to Burkina Information Agency, this impressive ranking is based on the evaluation conducted by Open Data Inventory (ODIN), which scrutinizes national statistical systems through the available data on country platforms. Adama Nabayaogo, the lead administrator of Open Data Burkina Faso, revealed that Burkina Faso scored an overall of 77 out of 100. This score reflects the quality of its statistical platform, which is considered among the best, evaluated on criteria such as data openness and coverage of statistical themes.

Burkina Faso is now setting its sights on joining the world's top 15 by enhancing data collection and dissemination, with a specific focus on social issues like poverty and income, crime and justice, and accommodation facilities.

INSD Director General Toubou Dipama expressed that this ranking acknowledges the professionalism of the institution's teams. He highlighted the efforts made over the years and stated that the current goal is to bolster the national statistical system's functioning through improved collaboration with sectoral structures and continuous staff training to keep abreast of innovations in the statistical domain.

INSD also showcased the Open Data Burkina Faso platform, which has been operational since 2016, supported financially by the African Development Bank (AfDB). This platform serves as a centralized hub for the statistical productions of the country's Directorates General of Studies and Sectoral Statistics (DGESS). Users can access Burkina Faso's statistical data through the websites of INSD, the National Statistics Council (CNS), and the Open Data platform.