Data collection key to development - Bawumia

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has called for the allocation of resources for data collection to ensure full utilization in Ghana.

He said this has become necessary because of the synergy between data production and development.

Speaking at the Data for Sustainable Development Roadmap forum in Accra, Dr. Bawumia said investment in data and data collection was key to development.

“I just don’t see how you can be successful in your development agenda when you have poor data, because your decisions have to be based on data. If your data is poor, then you are going to make poor decisions,” he said.

Data is fundamental in showcasing the past successes vis-a-vis development, as well as the status quo on the basis of which we can produce much needed development, according to him.

“Most governments do not really prioritize data collection, but governments forget that without the data, you will get your policies wrong. It is the data that will tell you where you are and helps you to get to where you want to,” he said.

He said the impact of the Inner City and Zongo Development Fund and $1 million allocation to every constituency could be access through data.

“You can’t just say you have invested in these communities and not know what the impact the investment has been so you can adjust if you have to adjust and enhance if you need to enhance.”

Attaining SDG Goals

Dr. Bawumia said Ghana cannot attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without fast-tracking the data revolution to provide the right information at the right time to all.

He said Ghana’s attainment of SDG goals would critically be underpinned by a robust data regime that is collectively supported by all partners, including the private sector, academia, NGOs and multilateral institutions in a harmonize manner.

“At this critical juncture where the amount of data that is churned out on a daily basis is progressively increasing with constantly evolving technologies for data collection, analysis and communication, it becomes our shared responsibility to govern towards harnessing this revolution for the betterment of our citizens, whether you are data producer or user; innovator or policy maker, everyone has a stake in data revolution.”