Labari Data, the data arm of independent media group Labari Media, has launched two new public tools this month: Fundi and Utabiri.
Fundi lets residents of Greater Accra report failing public infrastructure and track it until it is fixed. Utabiri is a prediction market where users forecast the outcome of events across Africa.
They do very different things, but both rest on the same idea: ordinary people often know things before institutions do, and that knowledge is worth collecting.
Fundi: report it, track it, get it fixed
Fundi focuses on the infrastructure problems that shape daily life in Greater Accra. Users can report:
- Potholes and damaged roads
- Broken traffic lights
- Dead streetlights
- Blocked drains
- Uncollected waste
- Open manholes
A user picks the problem type, marks its location, and submits the report [confirm: photo upload, account or anonymous]. The report joins a public, dated record that anyone can see, and its status can be followed over time. The status of the issue can be confirmed as fixed by other users.
That record is the point. A complaint shared on social media disappears in a day; a logged report shows how long a problem has gone unfixed and where problems cluster. In a city where responsibility for roads, lighting, drainage and sanitation is spread across several assemblies and agencies, a single public log could help residents and journalists see where services fall short.
The name comes from the Swahili word for a skilled repairer, the person you call when something is broken.
Utabiri: the wisdom of the crowd, applied to Africa
Utabiri, Swahili for “prediction” or “forecast”, is Labari Data’s prediction market. Users take positions on whether future events will happen, and the collective result produces a running estimate of how likely each outcome is.
Prediction markets have drawn global attention in recent years, particularly around elections, because their prices often track real-world outcomes closely. Most major platforms, however, focus on US and European events.
Utabiri is built to centre African questions such as “Will MTN Ghana’s market share exceed 81% by the end of 2026”, “Will Ato Forson Become Flagbearer of the NDC Party in 2028?” and other relevant questions related to Ghana.
Users are given virtuals to spend on what the market will look like. The markets will resolve/close after a specific date.
For a newsroom, the appeal is clear: market odds become another data signal alongside polls and expert commentary, showing what informed participants expect to happen.
Try them
Fundi is free to use at fundi.labaridata.com. Utabiri is available at utabiri.labaridata.com.
