Northern Regional Minister pledges support for GSS to strengthen data use
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Ali Adolf John Mburidiba, has assured the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) of his commitment to collaborate with the service to address operational challenges and strengthen the use of reliable data for development.
He said accurate and timely statistics were essential for effective policy formulation, resource allocation, monitoring and evaluation, and informed decision-making.
Mr Mburidiba gave the assurance when the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GSS, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, and his team paid a courtesy call on him at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) in Tamale on Tuesday.
The visit formed part of Dr Iddrisu’s engagement with GSS staff and key stakeholders in the region to deepen institutional collaboration and identify practical measures to improve the service’s operations.
Mr Mburidiba said the engagement would strengthen the relationship between the GSS and the NRCC and promote closer collaboration in support of the region’s development agenda.
He underscored the critical role of reliable statistics in development planning, saying accurate data were necessary to ensure that development interventions were based on credible evidence and reflected the actual needs of communities.
The minister commended the GSS, particularly its regional office, for its efforts to provide statistical information to support national development.
He called for stronger collaboration among the GSS, the NRCC and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to improve data collection and sharing, and urged the service to sustain its data collection activities across the country.
Dr Iddrisu, for his part, emphasised that the visit was aimed at building stronger institutional relationships with regional and local authorities to enhance collaboration.
He commended the NRCC for the support and cooperation extended to the GSS in the region.
Dr Iddrisu said reliable statistics were indispensable to the development process, enabling government, development partners, researchers, businesses and other stakeholders to understand prevailing socio-economic conditions, identify development gaps and design appropriate interventions.
He appealed to the NRCC and MMDAs to increase their support to enable the GSS to effectively discharge its mandate.
Dr Iddrisu explained that delays or difficulties in providing administrative data could affect the timely compilation and dissemination of statistics required for development planning.
He, therefore, appealed to the Regional Minister to facilitate stronger cooperation between the GSS and decentralised departments and agencies, particularly at the district level, to ensure that relevant data were made available in a timely and coordinated manner.
He called for renewed commitment from both institutions to deepen collaboration, strengthen data-sharing mechanisms and work with other stakeholders to promote evidence-based development planning and decision-making in the region.
FROM YAHAYA NUHU NADAA, TAMALE
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