Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has urged African Governments to take into consideration Afrobarometer data survey reports in policy-making.

She noted that Afrobarometer data would enable African Governments to improve on their internal processes such as good governance and democracy, which were extremely important.

The Minister said Afrobarometer, which had expanded into 35 countries in Africa was now playing a very key role in the socioeconomic governance areas of the lives of the people on the continent.

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey said this when Dr Joseph Asunka, Chief Executive Officer of Afrobarometer, and Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, Board Chair, Afrobarometer, paid a courtesy call on her in Accra.

The courtesy call was to enable the Afrobarometer team to acquaint themselves and share plans of their institution with the aim of developing and deepening relations of mutual interest between the Ministry and Afrobarometer.

Afrobarometer is a non-partisan Pan-African research institution formed in 1999 through the merger of three independent survey research projects of co-founders, Dr Michael Bratton, Dr Robert Mattes, and Dr Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi.

The Organisation conducts repeated public attitude surveys on democracy, governance, the economy, and society in 30 plus countries, mostly within Africa, with the aim of providing the public a voice in policymaking.

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey commended the leadership of Afrobarometer for their work in Ghana bothering on socio-economic and cultural issues, including education, corruption, unemployment, gender, and marginalization.

She reiterated the importance of the institution’s work on informed policy making for the benefit of Ghanaians.

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey assured the delegation of the Ministry’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with Afrobarometer to help advance democracy and good governance in Ghana, whilst promoting tolerance and national unity.

She lauded Afrobarometer for the collection of data that was non-partisan, which reflected the real thinking of the people.

The Minister said the Ministry would strengthen its cooperation with Afrobarometer to help advance democracy and good governance in Ghana.