EAC launches self-paced online courses to strengthen regional statistical capacity

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 17th July, 2026: The East African Community (EAC) has launched six (6) self-paced online courses comprising of 31 modules to broaden access to practical training in official statistics. The courses are available through the EAC Statistics E-Learning Resources page through https://eacsecretariat.github.io/statistics/ and are open to learners across the Partner States and beyond.

The courses provide a flexible way for learners to build or refresh statistical knowledge without waiting for face-to-face trainings. Each course uses plain-language explanations, worked examples, diagrams, interactive activities and knowledge checks, followed by a final assessment. Successful learners can download an EAC certificate upon completion.

Developed by the EAC Secretariat with experts from Partner States through the Regional Technical Working Groups, the materials translate regional guidelines and international statistical standards into practical, learner-centred courses.

These online learning courses represent a significant step towards building a stronger and more harmonised regional statistical system. By making high-quality training materials readily accessible, the EAC is supporting Partner States to adopt common statistical methodologies, enhance data quality and strengthen evidence-based policymaking.

Who will benefit

The courses are designed for statistical compilers and users, including staff of national statistics offices, central banks, ministries of finance and other government institutions; economists, planners and policymakers; researchers, academics and students; regional and international organisations; journalists and other users of statistical information.

By completing the courses, learners will strengthen their ability to understand, compile, interpret and use official statistics. The programme will also support the consistent application of common methodologies and standards, contributing to more reliable and comparable statistics for regional planning, policy analysis and evidence-based decision-making.

Courses available

1. External Sector Statistics: covering the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position under Integrated Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Seventh Edition (BPM7), including the current, capital and financial accounts.
2. Measuring Poverty in the East African Community: covering poverty concepts, household consumption, poverty lines, monetary and multidimensional poverty, and household surveys.
3. Monetary and Financial Statistics (MFS): understanding money, credit, monetary surveys, broad money, interest rates and lending across the economy.
4. Financial Soundness Indicators (FSIs): assessing the health and resilience of banks, insurers, pension and money market funds, businesses, households and real estate markets.
5. Government Finance Statistics (GFS): understanding government revenue, expenditure, assets, liabilities, fiscal balances, EAMU convergence and fiscal sustainability.
6. Public Sector Debt Statistics (PSDS): measuring, classifying and analysing public debt, contingent liabilities, convergence and debt sustainability.

Each course contains five or six modules and requires approximately two-and-a-half to six hours of learning, depending on the subject. Learners may complete a full course in sequence or return to individual modules as a practical reference.

How to access the courses and register

Learners should visit the EAC Statistics E-Learning Resources page at https://eacsecretariat.github.io/statistics/ and select their preferred course.

To note:

1. Course modules may be opened and studied without registration.
2. Learners seeking certification should register on the selected course page before taking the final assessment.
3. After passing the assessment, learners can download their EAC certificate of completion.

Learners are advised to use a standard browser window rather than private or incognito mode so that their progress can be saved between visits. Public institutions, universities, research organisations and professional bodies are encouraged to share the courses and incorporate them into staff induction and continuing professional development programmes.

For more information, please contact:
Doreen Nakure
Statistician - Communications and Advocacy Expert
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.eac.int

About the East African Community
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. The EAC aims to expand and deepen economic, political, social, and cultural integration to improve the quality of life of the people of East Africa through increased competitiveness, value-added production, trade, and investment.