African Statistics Day: New world reality requires modernised statistical development – Kale

Wed, Nov 18, 2020
By editor
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Business

Yemi Kale, the Statistician-General of the Federation says the new world reality requires the need to modernize statistics development and data collection.

He said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the celebration of the 2020 African Statistics Day (ASD) in Nigeria.

The event celebrated annually on Nov. 18 with the theme: “Modernising national statistical systems to provide data and statistics to support sustainable peace and development in Africa”.

Kale, who was represented by Mr Adeyemi Adeniran, the Director, Real Sector and Household Statistics, said modernising data collection could be by using new technologies and new data sources to maximise efficiency.

He said that would provide the data and statistics necessary to support sustainable development and peaceful co-existence in Africa.

Kale said that governance and security statistics were fundamental to ensuring that the relationship between the state and its people was inclusive, transparent and accountable.

He said that they could be useful to the work of prevention and management of wars, civil conflict and gender-based violence that had bedeviled the African continent over the years.

“When used as early warning system, the data can help to foster peace by regularly providing information on the status of state-society relations, which lie at the center of sustainable peace.”

Mr Clem Agba, the Minister of State, Ministry of Budget and National Planning said that the theme for the celebration was in tandem with the theme for the African Union for the year: “Silencing the Guns: Creating conducive conditions for Africa’s Development”.

Represented by Mr Daniel Adeosun, he said that peace, security and socio-economic development must be pursued simultaneously to make “silencing the guns” a reality across the continent.

He said that the celebration was in line with an aspect of the vision of the Federal Government to raise awareness on the importance of reliable statistical production processes and usage for evidence-based policy decisions.
Agba, however, urged all statistics users to effectively collaborate with the producers of statistical information to enable them attain the desired results.

In a goodwill message, Dr Reuben Bamidele of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), said peace and development were highly integrated and linked.

According to him, where there is no peace, there can never be developed and where development is slow, it can give rise to unrest.

He however urged that there should be a massive investment into the statistical system for the needed infrastructure required to provide the needed statistics.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for the celebration was chosen to raise awareness about the critical importance of governance and socioeconomic statistics in achieving the goal of a conflict-free Africa. (NAN)

– Nov. 18, 2020 @ 16:25 GMT |

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