Abuja: Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Usman, highlighted the critical role of innovation in data and statistics in fostering a just, peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous Africa. Usman made these remarks in Abuja during the 2025 African Statistics Day event, themed ‘Leveraging Innovations in Data and Statistics to Promote a Just, Peaceful, Inclusive and Prosperous Society for Africans.’
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Usman emphasized that the theme of the event aligns with the current technological advancements transforming data production, analysis, and application in governance across the continent. She pointed out that the world is experiencing rapid advances in artificial intelligence, geospatial analytics, mobile-assisted surveys, machine learning, and digital data systems.
Usman recalled President Bola Tinubu’s 2025 statement asserting the necessity of data for informed decision-making, underscoring its centrality in the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Th
is agenda aims to ensure that policies and investments are guided by accurate and reliable information.
She noted that the increasing public demand for transparency necessitates faster, fairer, and more defensible government decisions, which traditional paper-based systems can no longer support. Usman stated, “Innovation gives data speed, scale, precision, and predictive power,” adding that interactive dashboards and real-time visualization tools assist policymakers in making targeted and effective decisions.
Usman also highlighted the broader impact of modern data systems on achieving justice, peace, and inclusion. She explained that disaggregated data reveals inequalities and aids in directing resources to vulnerable groups, while conflict-sensitive data supports early warning systems to identify social tensions and resource-based pressures.
Furthermore, Usman noted the importance of inclusive data collection methods that reach remote communities and capture diverse voices, contributing to policies that
strengthen national unity. She praised the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for its efforts to modernize Nigeria’s data systems through automation and advanced analytics.
Usman mentioned ongoing collaborations with the NBS to strengthen partnerships, improve technical capacity, and align statistical outputs with national priorities. She has also requested ministries to provide lists of data sets not yet captured by the NBS to expand the national statistical framework.
Concluding her remarks, Usman urged investment in statistical systems by government institutions, technology firms, academia, and civil society, emphasizing that data is “the infrastructure of development.”
In addition, Austin Anyakorah, Director of Corporate Planning and Statistical Planning Coordination at the NBS, noted that African Statistics Day is celebrated annually on November 18.