Cross River institutes data-driven governance with statistics committee

Ben Eguzozie

Cross River State has inaugurated the State Consultative Committee on Statistics (SCCS) in a major step toward enhancing governance through data-driven decision-making. The committee is tasked with strengthening the state’s statistical system, improving data accuracy, and fostering collaboration among key stakeholders.

Peter Odey, the acting Governor of the State, said reliable data was crucial in shaping economic policies, improving governance, and enhancing citizen well-being. According to him, the littoral state has made progress under the “People First agenda” led by his principal, Governor Bassey Otu, which prioritizes sustainability, accountability, infrastructure development, economic diversification, and social support programs.

The SCCS will serve as a vital platform for stakeholders to work together in strengthening the statistical framework. The acting governor urged its members to be bold, innovative, and collaborative in building a world-class data system that will support the state’s development aspirations.

With the ACCS, Cross River takes a major step toward data-driven governance, ensuring that policymakers, private sector players, and researchers have access to accurate and timely data for sustainable development.

Bong Duke, the chairman of the State Planning Commission, emphasized the SCCS’s role in fostering synergy between state and federal agencies, development partners, and key stakeholders. He said the theme of the meeting, ‘Enhancing Data Integration and Interoperability in the Cross-Universal State Statistical System,’ was a major plank of the prominence of modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and big data analytics in improving data accuracy and policy effectiveness.

“The integration and interoperability of data systems are crucial in today’s digital age. By ensuring seamless data sharing and standardization, we can enhance the quality of decision-making and governance across the state,” Duke said.

He further explained that the committee will work closely with the State Planning Commission and the State Bureau of Statistics to address challenges in data harmonization, privacy concerns, and information accessibility. The goal is to create a secure, transparent, and inclusive data ecosystem that aids in policy development and economic planning, he added.

Joseph Adoga, the state’s statistician general, lauded the Acting Governor for inaugurating the statistics committee, saying the committee is committed to producing reliable statistics for evidence-based planning and decision-making.

“This initiative brings together all stakeholders in the state’s statistical ecosystem, ensuring that our policies and development strategies are informed by high-quality data,” Adoga said.

The SCCS comprises key government officials, security agencies, and representatives from the private sector and research institutions. Members include: the Governor, Bassey Otu as chairman; vice chairman/CEO of the State Planning Commission as alternate chairman. Other members are the federal commissioner of National Population Commission; accountant general of the state; branch comptroller-general of Nigeria Customs Service; branch head of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); state commissioner of police; branch director of statistics at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); state representative of NNPC Ltd; state comptroller of Nigeria Immigration Service; directors of PRS in relevant MDAs; representative of the armed forces; Lionel Effan, who represents research institutions; and the organized private sector.