The meeting focused on the 2025 System of National Accounts and the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, seventh edition. It was organised in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission for Africa and the UN Statistics Division, with support from the World Bank.
Senior representatives from national statistics offices and central banks across Africa attended, alongside regional economic communities and specialised institutions. The discussions aimed to assess the impact of the new standards on Africa’s economic data systems and to prepare countries for the transition to System of National Accounts 2025 and BPM7.
Opening the meeting, Ethiopia’s State Minister for Economy and Planning, Bereket Fesehatsion Tesfamariam, said Africa stands at a pivotal moment. He noted that adopting the new standards can transform statistical systems, strengthen data quality and promote evidence‑based policymaking through stronger collaboration and innovation.
Participants acknowledged the progress made by many African countries in implementing the 2008 System of National Accounts and BPM6. At the same time, they highlighted persistent challenges, including limited technical capacity, delayed surveys and competing national priorities, underscoring the need for sustained support and peer learning.
The meeting emphasised that adopting the new standards is not a one‑off exercise but a continuous and evolving process. Strong institutional coordination, adequate resourcing and political commitment were seen as essential for long‑term success.
The IMF presented implementation tools and self‑assessment frameworks designed to help countries evaluate their readiness, identify gaps and prioritise investment in statistical infrastructure. Modernising data collection systems, improving data sharing between institutions and integrating administrative and emerging data sources were identified as key steps toward effective implementation.
Regional and intra‑country collaboration was highlighted as a cornerstone of success, with close coordination needed between national statistics offices, central banks, government ministries and development partners.
–AU/ChannelAfrica–
