Welcome to the GODAN Summit 2016 Blog Series. Each week, we will post a blog written by a participant of our Summit held in New York City on September 15-16. This week's blog is written by Sonigitu Asibong Ekpe. 

DATA AS AN ASSET FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN AFRICA

It would seem that data knowledge management emerged as a discipline in the last decades of the last century, to prepare us to adapt to the immense complex challenges of the knowledge Age in the 21st century. A great degree of diplomacy is also needed for knowledge management in complex global programme such as the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN), which aims to create an infrastructure for data management incentives. My attendance at the GODAN Summit 2016 enriched me with new knowledge of data utilization in engaging and persuading people to take part in long term negotiations that will affect how their communities live for generations in the future. It also invites people to quantify and place new assets, which they may have accessed freely beforehand. Most importantly, because we share on earth system, it indelibly introduces a new perspective about how we view our global commons and connects us to people and places far beyond our nations and states.  

It is therefore very important to develop a coherent and effective strategy for data management in our various Countries. GODAN goes beyond agriculture and nutrition, it includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of resources and enhancement of new digital skills. This added emphasis means that the rhythm of data management needs to be synchronised with the phases of work, so that the ideas and actions, which are being applied, are also being triggered naturally by the rhythm of the GODAN programmes activities.

Based on the data gaps identified and tools suggested, a strategy need be developed to initiate the development of systems, processes and knowledge products to guide the data infrastructures.

The following are proposed recommendation

1. Communities of Practice – systems and processes to initiate and support the development of communities of practice in strategic areas.
2. South-South Exchange – Regular opportunities for knowledge exchanges and sharing of lessons learned across the Data community worldwide.
3. Capacity building – A primary objective of the Centre of Excellence, creating a pool of experts on GODAN in our nations that will facilitate the communities’ discussions and create knowledge
4. Centre of Excellence Data Bank – New training tools, knowledge products, curriculum materials and documents that shall utilize an Academy as a training delivery model as well as any knowledge products derived from South-South Exchanges, communities of practice discussions.

The arrangement of side events gave me the opportunity to harness the benefits of connectivity as widely as possible and created networks of new friends and learning mentors for continued innovation.

I gained access to good quality materials for colleagues back at workplace and have so far shared the knowledge acquired to enable us Improve on our job as it was very exciting.

I met with Akshay Penmatcha a Masters student in New York University pursuing an Applied Data Science program at its research division called Centre for Urban Science & Progress, and teammates Priyanshi & Shalmali. They have presented an idea to help farmers in developing countries at the GODAN Global Summit 2016 Hackathon and won the 2nd prize. They got the chance to meet me where I told them that there is some work going on in this area back in India. And it would be great if we can have further discussion to understand the core elements of the idea as we plan to replicate same in Nigeria.

I learnt from the hackathon that greater use of digital technologies demand for new skills. First, the production of digital products and services requires specialist skills in information and communication technologies to programme software, develop applications and manage networks. Second, workers across an increasing range of occupations need generic ICT skills to use such technologies effectively. Finally, the diffusion of digital technologies is changing how work is done, raising demand for complementary skills such as information processing, self-direction, problem solving and communication.

I greatly appreciate GODAN for the great privileged they obliged me to attend this historic Summit.