e-Government for good governance : establishing efficient governance through data-driven policymaking in Africa

Abstract

Governance in Africa has traditionally been hindered by a lack of accurate data and information. This has resulted in policies that are poorly informed and ineffective in addressing the needs of citizens. However, advances in technology and the increasing availability of data have provided a new opportunity for African governments to improve their decision-making processes. By collecting and analysing data, governments can identify the most pressing issues and develop targeted policies to address them. Data-driven policymaking has the potential to revolutionise the way governments in Africa make decisions, and can help address some of the challenges that Africa faces, such as poverty, inequality, and limited access to essential services. The effective use of data can also improve transparency and accountability, enabling citizens to hold their governments to account and encouraging greater public participation in the policymaking process. Having identified poor governance and ineffective public policies in Africa as major problems across the continent, this study has sought to respond to those challenges by exploring and proposing the adoption of a data-driven approach in public policies, and which could eventually improve the state of governance.