Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat, working with the African Union (AU) Institute for Statistics (STATAFRIC), has convened a regional workshop aimed at improving how African countries compile and manage national accounts data.

Held from April 15 to 17, 2026 in Livingstone in Zambia, the workshop focused on the National Accounts Database System (NADABAS), an Excel-based tool designed to help national statistical offices organise, compile and manage economic data, including Gross Domestic Product estimates.

Officials say the system combines the flexibility of spreadsheets with the structure of a database, improving the reliability and consistency of economic statistics across participating countries.

The meeting brought together national accounts compilers and Information Technology specialists from nine African countries using the system, with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, improving implementation, and establishing a regional network of experts to support ongoing use of NADABAS.

STATAFRIC, which is based in Tunis, provides technical co-ordination for the system and receives support from partners including Statistics Norway, Statistics Sweden, the COMESA Secretariat and the East African Community.

Countries currently using NADABAS include eSwatini, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Mozambique.

Created in January 2013 by the African Union, STATAFRIC serves as the continent’s central reference body for producing reliable and comparable statistics. Its mandate is to support evidence-based decision-making and regional integration by providing timely and high-quality data aligned with the AU’s development goals.

–ChannelAfrica/COMESA–