African Library and Information Association and Institution (AfLIA) & Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) hosted a meeting on Africa Data Project in Accra, Ghana. Participants were drawn from the following countries in Africa: South Africa, Cameroon, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana, Benin, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Burundi, Kenya, Seychelles, Angola and AfLIA partners namely EIFL, TASCHA & World reader. Kenya was represented by Purity Kavuri from knls. The Africa Data Project, focused on; how to increase the understanding of the presence and data environment of public and community libraries on the African continent, and secondly, the role of partners in helping to develop and implement solutions to data challenges in the Library sector.

Each country presented a report on how they collect, use and share data. It was sad to note that most of the African countries do not collect data on Libraries apart from South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. During the meeting, it was agreed that:

a) The Ministers/Cabinet Secretaries in charge of libraries would be invited for the July 2018 Public libraries summit in Durban – South Africa, so as to be sensitized on the role of libraries in supporting the AU Agenda & SGDs.

b) The Directors of the National/Public libraries in African countries should accompany their respective Ministers/Cabinet Secretaries.

The Africa Data on public libraries will be shared.