By Lucy Ogalue
Its President, Dr Godday Ebuh, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the 3rd International Conference and 50th anniversary of CISON, holding from Oct. 14 to Oct.16.
“In an age shaped by data, spatial analysis, digital technology and artificial intelligence, statisticians can not remain at the margins of national decision-making.
“CISON calls on the Government to reintroduce the teaching of statistics in secondary schools; and conduct the long-overdue population and housing census,” he said.
Ebuh also called for predictable funding, professional independence for statistical institutions, qualified personnel and modern data infrastructure, describing statistics as essential infrastructure for effective governance.
He urged state governments to establish functional bureaux of statistics in all 36 states to complement the national statistical office.
Earlier, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, said credible data was central to planning and budgeting.
“Every budget is, in the end, a set of choices built on numbers.
“Investing in statistics is investing in better budgets, because every Naira spent on credible data helps government spend many more Naira wisely,” he said.
Bagudu welcomed CISON’s plan to begin certification examinations in 2027, urging the institute to raise professional standards and lead on innovation.
He said the ministry would support the National Bureau of Statistics, deepen the use of data in planning and budgeting, and keep its doors open to the institute.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele, said reliable data underpined economic management.
Oyedele, who was represwnted by Abubakar Othman, Director of Economic Research and Policy Management, said that statistics remained indispensable to effective economic management and public policy formulation.
“Reliable and timely data provide the foundation for sound fiscal planning, revenue mobilisation, public expenditure management, debt sustainability and the evaluation of government policies and programmes,” he said.
The minister urged CISON to deepen engagement with data science, digital technologies and statistical literacy.
The conference, with the theme, “From Legacy to Leadership: 50 Years of Promoting Statistical Development in Nigeria”, brought together statisticians, policymakers, academics and development partners. (NAN)
