The ECA Country Profiles were launched at the 8th Joint Annual Meetings of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration and the ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in Addis Ababa. With the reports countries will be able to focus their energies on macro-economic and social policies that will help them achieve structural transformation in Africa. The profiles provide a diversity of stakeholders, including governments, investors, partners, academics, analysts and civil society representatives, with a high quality, alternative source of data. Tailored for African countries, the ECA Country Profiles cover themes such as employment, natural resources, agriculture, climate change and the green economy, and focus on national and regional priorities such as Agenda 2063 and the Continental Free Trade Area. Other key characteristics include the inclusion of the ECA indexes that were launched as part of the Data Revolution Workshop, such as the African Social Development Index, the African Gender Index and the Regional Integration Index. Speaking at the launch, ECA Deputy Executive Secretary Mr Abdalla Hamdock, said, “Africa must be in position to tell its own story, but it won’t be able to do so if it doesn’t have the relevant data to tell this story. The ECA country profiles will assist member states to take control of their own narratives. This also places them in a better position to take evidence-based decisions.” The ECA Country Profiles will make it possible to evaluate the macroeconomic and social performances and potential risks facing African countries on a regular basis. They also provide high level practical and strategic recommendations. The reports will be produced in partnership with various African national authorities, including central banks, statistics authorities and research centres.
