Ghana Statistical Service calls for partnerships in gathering data

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) is urging private institutions and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to partner it to bolster its data resources, a move deemed critical for shaping effective policies and driving national development.  

The GSS underscored the importance of expanding data collaboration to ensure more robust policy interventions, particularly in education.  

Speaking on the sidelines of the African Statistics Day celebration in Accra yesterday, the Government Statistician, Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim, said: “The Ghana Statistical Service works closely with Ministries, Departments and Agencies daily to provide statistics for policymaking. However, we seek improved collaboration, not just at the monitoring stage but also during policy design.” 

World, African Statistics Day  

World Statistics Day is an international day to celebrate statistics. Created by the United Nations Statistical Commission, it was first celebrated on October 20, 2010. The day is celebrated every five years.

One hundred and three countries celebrate a national Statistics Day, including 51 African countries that jointly celebrate African Statistics Day annually on November 18.

This year’s African Statistics Day, on the theme: “Supporting Education by ModerniSing the Production of Fit-for-Purpose Statistics”, highlighted the pivotal role of accurate and accessible data in transforming Ghana’s education system. 

Event

At the event, the GSS led discussions and showcased initiatives such as the Statistical Data Hackathon, a project inspired by its StatsBank platform, designed to provide user-friendly access to data.

The StatsBank platform was highlighted as a milestone in the GSS’s digital transformation, offering free access to tailored statistics for both national and sub-national levels.

The hackathon series, intended to drive innovation and empower young minds to apply data-driven solutions to real-world challenges, was praised for cultivating a data-driven culture among youth, with this year’s winners showcasing innovative educational solutions.  

Data modernisation

Prof. Annim explained that the GSS was working on a statistical framework that went beyond presenting prevalence levels to offering actionable insights for diverse interventions.  

He urged stakeholders to continue championing data-driven decision-making, ensuring that no child was left behind in the pursuit of quality education.  

A Deputy Government Statistician for Social Population and Statistics, Dr Faustina Frempong-Ainguah, reaffirmed the service’s commitment to data modernisation.

“Traditional methods are no longer sufficient in this digital age. We are adopting technologies like AI-driven analysis and real-time data collection to meet future demands,” she said.  

A scholar of African Pentecostalism and the Baëta-Grau Professorial Chair of Contemporary African Christianity and Pentecostal/Charismatic Theology at the Trinity Theological Seminary, Rt. Rev. Prof. Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, who chaired the event, called for sustained investment in statistical systems. 

“Education is transformative, and fit-for-purpose statistics empower policymakers to address disparities in access and quality,” Rev. Prof. Asamoah-Gyadu stated, lauding the GSS for its strides in modernising statistical production.