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The fair data imperative Creating data is only part of the challenge. For information to drive development outcomes, it must be FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. These principles have become the gold standard for scientific data management since their articulation in 2016. Data locked in proprietary formats, hidden behind institutional barriers or lacking proper documentation delivers a fraction of its potential value. The initiatives described share a commitment to openness that amplifies their impact. OpenStreetMap data is free for anyone to use, modify and redistribute. The sensors.AFRICA archive makes air quality readings publicly accessible. Standardized metadata and download formats are provided in openAFRICA. When data follows FAIR principles, a dataset collected for one purpose can serve several others: health researchers can combine mapping data with disease surveillance; urban planners can overlay pollution readings on population density and disaster responders can integrate multiple sources for comprehensive situational awareness. The SDG data gap The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development established 17 goals with 169 targets and 231 indi cators to track progress. Yet according to the World Bank, countries are reporting data on only about 55 percent of SDG indicators. The 2025 Africa Sustainable Development Report acknowledges that data gaps prevent a complete picture of the continent's performance, while calling for more robust statistical systems. Statistics remain chronically underfunded, attracting a mere 0.34 percent of total Official Development Assistance. The funding gap for properly monitoring SDG indicators stands at around US$200 million per year — a modest sum in the context of global development spending, yet one that remains largely unmet. The stakes could hardly be higher. Without baseline data, it becomes impossible to measure whether interventions are working, to identify communities being left behind or to allocate resources effectively. The call to “leave no one behind” rings hollow when those most at risk are also most likely to be statistically invisible. Data points not only define the world; they shape what improvements are possible. For development practitioners, policymakers and funders the message is clear: investing in community-driven data infrastructure — in sensors, maps and open portals — is not a technical afterthought. It is a prerequisite for effective action. In a world where one billion people remain unmapped, visibility itself becomes a form of power. “For development practitioners, policymakers and funders, the message is clear: investing in community-driven data infrastructure is a prerequisite for effective action.”
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