NAN-HE-16
Data
By Cecilia Ologunagba
Abuja, Nov. 17, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Statistical Association (NSA) has urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to invest more in data collection and dissemination for sustainable growth and development.
The Second Vice President of NSA, Dr Olusanya Olubusoye, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday, on the sideline of a road show to mark the African Statistics Day.
Olubusoye said the activity was organised to draw attention of Nigerians to the importance of data and how it could be used to improve the quality of life of the people.
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“The whole essence of this celebration is to advocate for the need to understand the importance of statistics.
“The need for individual, for the society and for the government as whole to appreciate the role of statistics and particularly for government to see the need to see production of official statistics as public goods.
“The way they make provision for roads, for airport, for railway so also there should be provision for data collection, for data production, for data publication about various sectors of this country.
“So it is to call the attention of every stakeholder that data is life and with data the quality of life can improve, without data you cannot know your quality of life.’’
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The official noted that data had been used to measure birth, delivery, academic performance, career and even death rates.
Speaking on the theme of celebration “Strengthening Economic Statistics for Regional Integration, Structural Transformation and Sustainable Development’’, Olubusoye said, data could help Africa solve its economic problems.
He said without quality statistics, there was no way the region could strengthen economic integration and transform its economy.
“We need quality data, so we are advocating that the Federal Government should invest in data collection to understand how to plan effectively and to address some of the social and economic problems as a country.
“The government is fighting corruption, how can you fight what you don’t measure, if you are going to fight me, I need to measure your strength.
“So, if you are fighting corruption, you must measure it so that you know the strength and how to fight it correctly,’’ the official said.
He, however, called for collaboration between data providers and users to achieve effective planning and sustainable development.
NAN reports that the road show which started from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) office in the Central Business District ended at the NTA headquarters in Area II and was jointly organised by the NBS and NSA.
NAN also reports that public lecture on the theme of the celebration will hold on Friday at the
bureau’s headquarters.
The African Statistics Day Celebration is an offshoot of the meeting of Ministers responsible for planning in Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia held in 1990.
The meeting set aside 18th of November of every year as a special day for statistics and promoting awareness about the important role it plays in the development of the society. (NAN)
CIA/LAB/YEE
Edited by Lydia Beshel/Emmanuel Yashim
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