Abstract

One of the characteristics of the 4th Industrial era is the Internet of Things, before this era, official data were generated largely from sample surveys, censuses, and administrative methods. As the world moves into the 4th Industrial era, more and more data are generated on the web, social media, mobile phones, and censors in the ever-growing number of electronic devices around us. The volumes of data and the rate at which these data are produced have led to the concept of 'Big Data'. Big Data provides opportunities to obtain timely, costless, higher precision, completeness, and less burden official statistics, and it can also be used to monitor the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and its 169 indicators, especially where traditional data collections are missing. Currently in Africa, more than half of the SDG indicators have no or insufficient data to measure progress, big data has the potential to address some important gaps. The rise in big data should change the context in which National Statistical Organizations (NSOs) in Africa operate. Given big data scope, timeliness, and resolution, and the potential efficiencies it offers in obtaining official statistics, thus, this invited paper session shall provide strategic vision, direction, and coordination on how NSOs in Africa can integrate big data into official statistics.