Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
Hadiza Bala Usman, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), has urged Nigeria and other African countries to deepen investment in data innovation to strengthen justice, peace, inclusion, and prosperity across the continent. She stated this on Tuesday in her keynote address at the 2025 African Statistics Day celebration in Abuja.
During her address at the event which has in attendance government officials, national data experts, and international development partners, she said the theme of this year’s celebration, “Leveraging Innovations in Data and Statistics to Promote a Just, Peaceful, Inclusive and Prosperous Society for Africans,” reflects the growing recognition that reliable data is central to modern governance.
Her words: “Data is now a strategic national resource. Without it, governments operate blindly,” adding that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, geospatial analytics and mobile-assisted surveys are transforming how evidence is generated and used to drive development.
According to Usman, innovation has given data “speed, scale, precision and the power to predict,” making it indispensable for responding to the rising demand for accountability and transparency among citizens. According to her, digital tools now make it possible to predict disease outbreaks, monitor environmental changes, identify poverty hotspots, and support proactive governance through early-warning systems.
She further stated that innovative data plays a vital role in ensuring justice by highlighting exclusion, promoting peace through early detection of conflicts, and driving inclusion by making sure every citizen—especially those in remote areas—is counted. She added that prosperity depends heavily on insight and intelligence, which modern data systems help deliver across agriculture, business, infrastructure, and economic planning.
The presidential aide commended the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for modernising Nigeria’s data ecosystem through automation, digital tools, and advanced analytics. She said the CRDCU has been working closely with the Statistician-General since 2024 to align statistical outputs with the Federal Government’s delivery priorities under the Eight Presidential Priority Areas.
According to her, NBS has continued to demonstrate leadership as a technology adopter, capacity builder, and guardian of data ethics, ensuring that high-quality statistics support decision-making nationwide.
“As we celebrate African Statistics Day, we must recognise that data is not an accessory to development—it is infrastructure,” she said. Bala Usman emphasised the need for government, technology firms, academia, and civil society to deepen innovation partnerships, promote digital literacy, and develop ethical frameworks to guide the use of artificial intelligence and big data.
She reaffirmed that Africa’s development journey will depend heavily on data-driven governance. “A just, peaceful, inclusive and prosperous Africa is within our reach—and innovation in data remains one of the surest paths to achieving it,” she sai
Earlier in his address, the Director-general of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, called for a renewed focus on innovation in data collection and analysis to foster a just, peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous society in Africa.
Speaking on the theme, “Leveraging Innovations in Data and Statistics to Promote a Just, Peaceful, Inclusive and Prosperous Society for Africans,” the Statistician-General emphasized the transformative power of statistics in shaping national development and governance. He described statistics as “the silent architects of development,” highlighting their critical role in informing budgets, guiding policies, and shaping national priorities.
“Without credible data, we are left to navigate the complexities of governance and development in the dark,” he said, underlining the importance of robust, reliable, and timely data for effective decision-making.
The Statistician-General noted that the digital revolution has opened new frontiers for statistical development. Tools such as satellite imagery, big data analytics, machine learning, mobile data collection, and real-time dashboards now allow for more accurate, efficient, and actionable data. He stressed that the NBS is embracing these technologies to strengthen evidence-based decision-making and expand the reach and relevance of statistical outputs across Nigeria.
The Statistician-General, in his address, highlighted NBS’s commitment to modernizing Nigeria’s data systems and mentioned recent initiatives designed to enhance data collection, real-time analysis, and the use of innovative methodologies for national planning and development.
The celebration has in attendance statisticians, policymakers, development partners, and other stakeholders, reinforcing the shared commitment to a data-driven future for Nigeria and the African continent.
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