A consortium of African organisations- africapractice, iHub and Code for Africa, recently announced a new data platform ‘Takwimu’, an Africa-focused digital information service, to enhance performance and creativity across human development fields.
Takwimu is a Kiswahili word loosely translating to data or information and it is designed to empower African change makers with access to high-quality analysis and data, thus, supporting their work to educate, influence and advocate for deeper development impact.
According to the platform builders, the innovation, supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will provide accurate, up-to-date information, with a growing body of data on key health, agriculture, education, and financial inclusion metrics.
The launch was graced by experts across different sectors all of who their thought on the importance of data democratisation, in an extensive panel discussion. The panel comprised: Academic Director, Lagos Business School, Yinka David-West; Country Director, DAI, Joe Abah, CEO Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Gabriel Okeowo; CEO, Budgit, Laoye Jaiyeola as well as CEO, Teasy Mobile, Musa Ali-Baba.
Speaking at the launch, Takwinu spokesperson, Onyebuchi Ajufo, said the app was a new human development information platform that would provide accurate, up-to-date information with a growing body of data on key health, agriculture, education, and financial inclusion metrics.
He said: “Takwimu provides expert analysis of the key stakeholders, decision processes, policies, organisations and budgets that are driving development outcomes – combined with access to authoritative sources of national and sub-national statistics in the health, agriculture, education and financial inclusion sectors.
“All its content is visualised and packaged to be easily understood and freely shared. The platform’s goal is to make it much easier for development champions and storytellers to find, download, and share high-quality analysis and data visuals in their own materials.
By opening out access in this way, the app aimed to stimulate broader participation in development policy and programming.
“Indeed, we are happy to be playing a small part in helping organisations working to create sustainable change across the continent, find and use the information they need to participate more effectively. We would like to thank the many talented NGOs, development officers, data scientists and journalists who have contributed to building Takwimu and we hope the service is a useful contribution to the African development community.“
