NAIROBI — Quality data is key to ensuring that aid programs are effective. The African Development Bank is working to strengthen the capacity of data-gathering institutions, said Walter Odero, macroeconomist for the AfDB in Kenya.
Odero works in consultation with the Kenyan government on areas including debt and interest rate management, as well as in undertaking studies, including an examination of why investments in areas such as infrastructure have not brought significant economic growth to Kenya. He is one of the authors of the annual African Economic Outlook.
In a conversation with Devex, Odero stressed the need for better coordination in data gathering and dissemination among institutions. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.