This document discusses the creation of an Africa Open Data Community (AfrODC). It defines open data as freely available public data in reusable formats without restrictions. Open data comes from a wide variety of sources and excludes personal, sensitive, incomplete or misleading information. The benefits of open data include economic development, efficient services, evidence-based decisions, and improved data quality. An open data ecosystem involves governments publishing data, citizens and developers using and providing feedback on data, and more data and users attracting each other. The document advocates for an AfrODC to promote economic growth, innovation, and sharing across Africa. Current African open data publishers include Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, and Tunisia.

1. TOWARDS THE CREATION OF
AN “AFRICA OPEN DATA
COMMUNITY” (AfrODC)
Edwin A. Opare
Technical Lead and Open Data Evangelist
www.data.gov.gh

2. Overview
Open Data concepts
 Why set it free?
 Which countries are opening up data
 Why the need for an Africa-wide Open
Data Community

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3. What is Open Data?
Open data is the idea that
certain kinds of data should be freely
available to the public in reusable
formats to use and republish as they
wish, without restrictions
from copyright, licenses, patents &
other control mechanisms.
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4. What data and information?
Wide variety of data/information like:
 Administrative
 Statistical
 Geospatial, maps
 Meteorological
 Research
 Databases, real-time data
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5. Every data except...
Personal
information
Commercially sensitive
Security implications
Culturally sensitive
Incomplete data and information that may
be materially misleading
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6. Reusable formats = 5 Star
Data
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7. Creating the Open Data
Community
Open Data is
an
Ecosystem
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8. The Ecosystem
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9. How the Ecosystem works
Positive
interaction
inspires
more
government
s to follow
suit
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More data
attracts
more data
consumers
A
government
org
publishes
data
1
2
5
4
Demonstrable
use inspires
that govt. org
to publish more
Citizens &
developers
engage it,
providing
feedback
3
That govt.
org
incorporates
feedback,
improving
data
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10. Researchers
Bulk Data
Programmers
The Rest of Us
Apps
Explore Data
Interactively
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11. Why set your data free?
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12. Why set it free?

Promote Economic
development

Enable collaboration between
ecosystem

Efficient service delivery
Evidence based policy &
decision making
 Improved Data Quality


Enables inter-agency
collaboration
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13. How much should we pay for
Ferrous Sulfate + Folic Acid?
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14. Rwanda pays:
$0.12
per 100 tablets
Source: MSH International Drug Price Indicator Guide 2010
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15. DRC pays:
$0.20
per 100 tablets
Source: MSH International Drug Price Indicator Guide 2010
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16. MSH Median Seller Price:
$0.26
per 100 tablets
Source: MSH International Drug Price Indicator Guide 2010
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17. Namibia:
$0.90
per 100 tablets
Source: SARPAM Pharmaceutical Market Analysis
2010
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18. Swaziland:
$3.00
per 100 tablets
Source: SARPAM Pharmaceutical Market Analysis
2010
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19. In graphical terms
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20. Swaziland pays 25x more than
Rwanda for the same medicine.
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21. How do we set it free?
Open Data
Portals
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22. Current Africa
publishers are
Ghana, Kenya,
Morocco,
Tunisia
Visit data.gov.gh for list
of world open data
sites
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23. Why AfrODC?
Promote Economic Growth
 Drive Innovation & Wealth Co-creation
 Deepen cross-border relationships
 Encourage sharing across the
continent

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24. Let’s rally together & make AfrODC happen!!
www.data.gov.gh
@godigh || @aeopare
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