Arame G. Ndiaye Keita was one of those traced by the study. She spoke to IDRC about her life’s work.

Current Positions: Regional Co-ordinator, ODINAFRICA (Ocean Data and Information Network for Africa); Head, Information and Documentation Centre for the Direction of Maritime Fishery at Senegal’s Ministry of Maritime Economy and International Maritime Transportation
Home Country: Senegal
IDRC Support Received: Program-related award for Specialized Course in Information and Technology at the Institut africain de développement économique et social (1992) and internships in specialized marine information institutions in Europe and Africa

Fish stocks in many traditional fishing grounds off Africa’s coast are declining – eroding both the incomes of local fishermen and the sustainable development of this social and economic sector.

“Many millions of people depend on fishing for their livelihoods – particularly in developing countries such as Senegal,” says Arame Keita. “I think that improving fisheries and better managing oceans can contribute to fighting poverty around the world and also combat the food crisis.”

Keita’s passion for the ocean began during her childhood in a coastal town in Senegal, where she often watched the fishermen bring in their catches.

In school, she enjoyed learning librarianship and decided to study information management at the University of Dakar. When she graduated, Arame Keita found a way to meld her two interests by accepting a job as Documentalist with Senegal’s Ministry of Maritime Fishery.

There she directed a project called REDMAPS – Reorganization of research documentation concerning fishery in Senegal, which IDRC funded.

Keita now heads the Information and Documentation Centre at Senegal’s Direction of Maritime Economy. She is also the lead on many of Senegal and international initiatives in information management on marine sciences and is the national correspondent for the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts.

But Arame Keita says she is proudest of her work with ODINAFRICA, which she helped establish. She is now a regional coordinator for the information component of the network, which aims to improve the management of coastal and marine resources in 25 coastal African countries by developing information gathering and sharing in and between states.

“My small contribution is to try and make relevant information available and accessible to all users, and decision-makers in general who can make significant changes to the current situation.”


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