The Gambia recently became the centre of a defining regional conversation on governance as West Africa’s leading statisticians, policymakers and development partners opened a three-day workshop on governance statistics at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre.
The West Africa Workshop on Governance Statistics, co-organised by The Gambia Bureau of Statistics, the Praia Group on Governance Statistics and the United Nations Development Programme, brought together national statistical offices, electoral bodies, human rights institutions and regional bodies to strengthen production and use of credible data for SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.
Opening the workshop, Statistician General Nyakassi MB Sanyang said The Gambia was honoured to host the gathering and to share its experience while learning from others. Governance, he said, is lived daily by citizens but remains one of the hardest things to measure.
Administrative records are vital but insufficient, he argued, as trust, safety, discrimination and whether people feel heard can only be captured by asking citizens directly. “Governance statistics are sensitive and must be anchored on professional independence, scientific rigour, impartiality and confidentiality.”
He said the role of statisticians is not to make political judgements but to provide reliable evidence that shows where progress is made and where challenges remain. “Data has little value if it stays in databases; it must reach policymakers, civil society and ordinary citizens.”
Delivering the UNDP statement, Resident Representative Mandisa Mashologu described the meeting as a community of practice dedicated to evidence-based governance. “Measuring people’s experiences of participation, inclusion, access to justice and public service delivery is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, she said.
Mashologu recalled UNDP’s partnership with the Praia Group since 2015, which produced survey instruments now endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission. She hailed The Gambia’s 2025 SDG Monitoring Survey as a model, noting it revealed reduced discrimination, improved access to justice and better perception of public services, while flagging persistent concerns around safety and inclusion.
The survey was supported through the UNDP Funding Window with support from Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea.
The workshop included practical sessions on participation, equality and the use of administrative and survey data.
