Webinar on the Primer on data for trade in services and development policies | Africa (23/03/2026)

Held on 23 March, this UNCTAD webinar explored how better data on trade in services can strengthen development strategies, policy design, and trade negotiations. Drawing on the Primer on data for trade in services and development policies as a practical guide to a fragmented and evolving services-data ecosystem, the discussion examined how services trade statistics can be used more effectively in real policy settings, particularly in African contexts. More resources: Webinar website(includes the Primer and presentations): https://unctad.org/meeting/webinar-pr... Multi Year Expert Meeting on Trade, Services and Development (12th session): https://unctad.org/meeting/multi-year... Chapters 00:00 Opening remarks – Luz María de la Mora 06:46 Ingo Borchert – Presentation of the Primer as a practical guide to today’s fragmented and evolving services-data ecosystem, and of why better data matters for evidence-based policymaking. 24:50 Churchill Erick Achieng – Presentation of findings showing that traditional services, especially travel, have the strongest impact on economic growth, pointing to the need to look beyond sector size and better understand which services drive growth. 27:17 MSocrates Kraido Majune – Discussion of Kenya’s comparative advantage in services exports, highlighting the faster growth of services over goods, the role of human capital in modern services, and the need for firm-level analysis. 32:38 Dorica Phiri Nkata – Overview of the East African Community’s approach to services trade data, emphasizing both the usefulness and limitations of current methods and the importance of stronger data for policy, reform, and negotiations. 43:25 Viola Sawere – Reflection on SADC’s trade in services agenda, stressing that intra-regional services trade remains poorly measured and that better market data is needed to support integration and competitiveness. 53:53 Wange Dia – Perspective from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission on the use of decision-oriented data for investment promotion, and on priorities for improving national data systems. 1:03:32 Bernard Hoekman – Remarks on the need to complement international datasets with national administrative and firm-level data in order to better inform domestic policy and trade strategy. 1:13:42 Discussion Timestamps 0:00:00 - 0:06:46 – Luz Ma de la Mora 0:06:46 - 0:21:39 – Ingo Borchert 0:24:50 - 0:27:17 – Churchill Erick Achieng 0: 27:17 - 0:32:38 – Socrates Kraido Majune 0:32:38 - 0:43:25 – Dorica Phiri Nkata 0:43:25 – 0:53:53 – Viola Sawere 0:53:53 - 1:03:32 – Wange Dia 1:03:32 - 1:13:42 – Bernard Hoekman 1:13:42 – 1:25:34 – Discussion