[ACCI – CAVIE] At the heart of Africa’s strategic imperatives lies a central issue: access to market data. Far from being a mere technical matter, it constitutes a fundamental challenge for sovereignty and economic competitiveness, an arena where a significant part of contemporary economic warfare plays out. It is in this crucial context that the 8ᵗʰ edition of the African Competitive Intelligence Days (JAIE), orchestrated by the ACCI, has deliberately placed this theme among the “emergencies of African competitive intelligence.”

Easy, reliable, and up-to-date access to market data represents an invaluable competitive advantage for African economic actors, whether public or private. Without deep knowledge of the dynamics of the informal economy, supply and demand fluctuations, trade flows, consumer behaviour, and regulatory particularities, local businesses are left disarmed against competitors who are often better informed. This information asymmetry hampers their capacity to innovate, capture market share, and ultimately contribute fully to the prosperity of their nations.

African competitive intelligence, as initiated and theorised by Dr Guy Gweth, President of the ACCI, emerges as a strategic catalyst for addressing these shortcomings. It does not simply consist of aggregating numbers but involves deciphering weak signals, directly observing market realities, identifying emerging trends, engaging with well-informed actors, and transforming raw data into strategic intelligence to support decision-making. A rigorous competitive intelligence approach enables anticipation of real market developments, identification of growth niches, and the adaptation of local strategies to evolving realities.

However, access to African market data is frequently hindered by a series of obstacles. These include the fragmentation of information sources, the absence of data standardisation, the prohibitive costs associated with data acquisition, and, at times, opacity within information systems and endemic corruption. Each of these factors constitutes a real barrier to the competitive development of African economies.

African competitive intelligence must thus take on the structuring of the informational ecosystem by encouraging the sharing of reliable data, promoting the pooling of resources, and developing the skills necessary for the rapid analysis and exploitation of strategic data. Creating a coherent, accessible, and secure information environment is a major challenge that must be urgently addressed if Africa wishes to strengthen its economic sovereignty.

Furthermore, the issue of data sovereignty demands particular attention. It is imperative that African states equip themselves with the means to control the collection, storage, and use of data related to their own markets. Excessive dependence on exogenous sources of information creates strategic vulnerabilities and a loss of control over crucial information needed for endogenous development. This sovereignty challenge is both economic and political.

Thus, the panel scheduled during JAIE2025 on access to data will not merely engage in a technical discussion. It promises to trigger a political and strategic reflection on how African nations can reclaim this vital asset, transform it into a lever of economic power, and guarantee greater autonomy in a context of heightened global competition. Competitive intelligence thus emerges as an essential instrument to turn the challenge of access to market data into an opportunity for growth and sovereignty for the African continent.

The Editorial Team