Accurate Data for Development

Taking record of data and information regarding development activities helps in better planning and successful implementation of future ones. In protecting our future, sustainably minded decisions must be made today! Accurate data collection, processing and strategic use plays important role in socio-economic development of our world. It guarantees long lasting results and minimizes waste of resources. The challenge however, is that the vital data needed to make these decisions is increasingly obscure,  outdated, inaccessible and overwhelming.

In Nigeria for instance, there seems to be no reliable source of data as far as development challenges are concerned. The quantity or an estimate of the development challenges she has is not known. Not even the bureau of statistics can say for sure except she reiterates the data from the World Bank which may not be the true picture of the current reality.

To address this, there is need for a data bank, efficient data collection system and a periodic monitoring mechanism for routine checks and updates. Decision makers need access to comprehensive data networks and information in order to make the right call at the right time. This is not the business of the appropriate government agency alone. You and I have a role to play. The system has to be designed in such a way that it can skillfully integrate inputs from the populace, prepare it for endorsements from authorized persons and sensor it before it could be declared edible for public consumption. This approach can be duplicated across other developing countries and the underdeveloped ones. Accurate data and information can transform communities permanently. We all need to rise up to improve the availability of environmental, social and economic data to support informed decision-making for sustainability development. Timely data and information can make a difference to ordinary people’s lives. It can lift people out of poverty, help communities prepare for natural disaster, protect the health of our planet, deliver people from epidemic disease (Ebola for instance) and simply enhance people’s ability to make better day-to-day choices.