African Journal of ICT, Innovation and Society | 03 May 2007
Open Data Initiatives and Governance Transparency in São Tomé and Príncipe: An African Perspective
C, a, r, l, o, s, M, o, n, t, e, i, r, o, ,, A, f, o, n, s, o, C, o, n, c, e, i, ç, ã, o, ,, J, o, ã, o, F, e, r, r, e, i, r, a, ,, P, e, d, r, o, D, i, a, s
Abstract
São Tomé and Príncipe is an archipelagic nation in West Africa with a relatively small population and limited resources, making governance transparency particularly critical for effective service delivery and public trust. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative data from open source datasets (e.g., official government reports) and qualitative interviews with key informants in public administration. The analysis revealed a significant increase in the number of open data portals accessible to citizens by 50% compared to pre- levels. This growth was accompanied by an observed rise in citizen engagement from 34% to 48% in government service inquiries and feedback. The study concludes that open data initiatives have contributed positively to governance transparency in São Tomé and Príncipe, fostering a more participatory and accountable public administration. Future research should explore the long-term effects of open data policies on institutional performance and citizen trust. Policy recommendations include expanding data availability across sectors and enhancing user-friendliness through improved interfaces. open data, governance transparency, São Tomé and Príncipe, public administration, citizen engagement Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin<em>{\theta}\sum</em>i\ell(y<em>i,f</em>\theta(x<em>i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert</em>2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.