UNESCO-IOCAFRICA in partnership with the Kenya Marine & Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) undertook a joint training on ‘The Implementation of FAIR Principles to African Marine and Coastal Data’. The blended training organized in the KMFRI headquarters, Mombasa Kenya, between 23- 26 September 2024, aimed at impacting and sharing skills with practitioners in research and data management, focusing on ocean and coastal zones in Africa. The training was attended by 22 participants, drawn from 16 IOCAFRICA member states.

Preference was given to data managers in the National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODCs) and Associated Data Units (ADUs) in Africa, affiliated to the UNESCO International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) program. Among other issues, the hands-on training session focused on addressing key issues such as:

• Remapping critical ocean data gaps in different African countries,
• Providing information on methods to strengthen data quality control procedures
• Training participants on publishing data for inclusion in scientific papers and data repositories
• Providing mechanisms to members states for contributing and accessing data through African regional nodes for platforms such as the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) and the Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS)

The training will go a long way in supporting marine research and sustainable development. In addition, it will initiate and facilitate a continuous dialogue geared towards identification and addressing specific end-user group needs for data, information, and digital infrastructure.