Afrobarometer co-founder Prof. E. Gyimah-Boadi told 60 civil society leaders, policymakers, and development partners gathered in Accra on May 4, 2026, that credible citizen-generated data represents one of the most powerful and underutilised tools available to African civil society organisations (CSOs) in the fight against democratic backsliding, disinformation, and shrinking civic space.
Speaking at the Data for Governance Alliance (D4GA) Continental Reflections on Democracy, Governance, and Human Rights in Africa convening, Gyimah-Boadi argued that equipping CSOs with accessible and actionable data is essential to closing public awareness gaps, improving tracking of governance commitments, and deepening engagement with the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063 framework. The convening was led by Afrobarometer and funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The high-level gathering was held under the theme “Advancing democracy, human rights, good governance, and AU-CSO engagement,” bringing together participants from across the continent to examine emerging threats to democratic governance and map practical accountability pathways.
Ambassador Salah Hammad, head of the African Governance Architecture Secretariat at the AU, delivered the keynote address, warning that treaties and democratic commitments carry no weight without implementation and accountability from African leaders.
Daniel Böhme, deputy head of development cooperation at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Accra, stressed that data-informed policymaking is more critical than ever as development resources continue to shrink across the continent. Karin Stanghed, deputy head of the European Union delegation to the AU, reaffirmed EU backing for strengthening civil society, think tanks, and research institutions in advocacy and conflict-prevention roles.
The convening concluded with a set of policy recommendations and the finalisation of a draft communiqué to guide future continental engagement on democracy, governance, and human rights. Participants also proposed targeted interventions to strengthen accountability mechanisms, advance human rights protections, and build more inclusive governance systems.
The D4GA is a four-year, European Union-funded project led by Afrobarometer alongside the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Nairobi, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), and Laws.Africa.
