December 25, 2023
By Ishola Yatrib
Dr Olushola Odusanya, Director-General of the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM), says Nigeria needs data- driven decision-making to drive sustainable economic growth.
Odusanya told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that this was particularly relevant when it related to Science, Technology and Innovation, job creation, technology infusion, and employment generation, among others.
He spoke with NAN in Abuja on Thursday on the side-line of a workshop on: “Measuring national development.’’
He said the workshop was part of efforts to ensure that Nigeria began to groom knowledgeable leaders who would take major decisions based on available data.
The director-general said NACETEM hosted the workshop in collaboration with the AU Development Agency’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development’s request that African nations should collect data on science and technology indicators.
He said Nigeria was at the forefront of the idea to marshal information that development planners could use to assist in national development.
Odusanya added that NACETEM would support government to introduce new knowledge into the economy that would drive development and offer new opportunities for Nigerians.
“This is about growing the economy; it is not an extractive ideology, but one of growth and development based on information.
“Nigeria needs data to drive national development; all the relevant government agencies are here, so, the data that is available on what we have done so far when it comes to STI indicators is what we are presenting,’’ Odusanya said.
Mr Bishop Ohioma, Assistant Director at National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), also in an interview, noted that statistics was as important as the ability to read and write.
He said: “There’s nothing meaningful that we can do now as far as the global community is concerned without data.
“Data is very key to national planning as well as national development, we collaborated with NACETEM on this laudable project because as a custodian of data production, we cannot do it alone.
“We don’t even have the financial muscle to be able to conduct all the data required by our researchers, government, academic and even by our donor agencies and international community,’’ Ohioma said.
Lawrence Nzenagu, National President, Association of Nigerian Inventors, decried the dearth of data in the nation’s system.
He said NACETEM was striving to get it right, “they are doing it by inviting stakeholders and other relevant bodies to put heads together as professionals, to chart a great cause for Nigeria.’’
Nzenagu said the data issue was a national challenge and in order to rephrase the narrative, it was pertinent for Nigeria to have a “techpack working.’’
“What NACETEM is doing is putting the right pegs in the right holes at the right time.
“So, it’s a good pointer, directive to where we are going as a nation that is striving to join the international world,’’ he said.
Other participants also spoke while brainstorming at the event.(Mainstream)
