Statistics training in eastern and southern Africa: a study of supply and demand

SUMMARY In recent years considerable concern has been expressed, from within and outside the continent, about the standard of official statistics in Africa. This has prompted the question of how effective the training of African statisticians has been. This paper describes findings from studies of current supply and future demand for statistics training in Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, carried out in 1993 and 1994. Recommendations for future development of training systems are given. These include strengthening in-service training in national statistics organizations and developing regional courses for professional statisticians.