Dakar, 23rd September 2025 – Chief executives, parliamentarians, local elected officials, experts, and technical and financial partners gathered in Dakar for the Regional Forum for the Dissemination of Products from National Demographic Dividend Observatories (NDDO). Organised by the Regional Technical Secretariat of the SWEDD+ project within UNFPA WCARO, this three-day event marks a decisive step in the use of data to guide public policy and social investment in favour of capturing the demographic dividend and improving the well-being of populations.

Launched in 2015 with the support of the World Bank and UNFPA, the SWEDD+ project now mobilises seven countries in West and Central Africa to accelerate the empowerment of women and girls and reap the benefits of the demographic dividend. NDDO, established in several countries, produce essential data: demographic profiles, studies on unpaid domestic work, demographic dividend monitoring indices and demographic dividend-sensitive budgeting tools.

Transforming data into public policy

In his opening address, Mr Assane Ndiaye, Director of Human Capital Development at Senegal's Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, emphasised: "These observatories are now veritable melting pots of data, analysis and scientific evidence. They provide policy makers with solid tools to guide budgetary and strategic choices in favour of investment in human capital."

Since the launch of the project, UNFPA has been supporting countries in establishing and operationalising ONDDs, providing technical expertise, training and regional coordination. ‘We now have a unique opportunity: to turn evidence into action. Gender-responsive budgeting and the demographic dividend are strategic investments, not expenditures,’ emphasised Dr Sennen Hounton, UNFPA Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

This technical assistance is illustrated by the production of tools for cross-country comparison, national capacity building and advocacy for the systematic use of data in development strategies.

Promoting the products of the NDDOs

The Chief of Staff to Ms Véronique Tognifodé, Minister of Social Affairs and Microfinance of Benin and Chair of the SWEDD+ Regional Steering Committee, recalled the role of the NDDOs: "These products, as rich and strategic as they are, are still not sufficiently known and used. This forum aims to share, popularise and promote them so that they become real levers for action to guide public policies and budget allocations."

On behalf of ECOWAS, Dr SAYI Dona Alain, OOAS/PMU/Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, highlighted regional expectations: ‘NDDO should serve as a barometer for measuring the effectiveness of policies aimed at harnessing the potential of young people, and produce analyses that enable national actions to be aligned with regional and continental objectives.’

The first two days were devoted to presenting, in simple and accessible language, all the categories of products developed by the seven SWEDD+ countries to the various stakeholders.

The third and final day featured three successive panels:

• Panel of parliamentarians: this highlighted the value of these data in strengthening their capacity to participate in budget debates and decisions.
• Policy-makers' panel: this emphasised the importance of these products for advocacy and for their integration into development policies.
• Partners' panel (WB, UNFPA and ECOWAS): this reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the continued production of evidence-based data and its effective use in national and regional policies.

A common roadmap

This forum paves the way for the development of a common roadmap to ensure that the products of the ONDD become living instruments, used in parliamentary debates, budgetary decisions and national development strategies.

As Dr Hounton concluded: ‘Together, let us ensure that research results translate into inclusive policies, that policies translate into equitable budgets, and that budgets translate into transformed lives.’

In addition, the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Family, Social Action and Solidarity of Senegal, Ms Maïmouna Dièye, called on countries to make capturing the demographic dividend a priority, based on evidence.