The Ogun State Government has trained its workers on the importance of Integrated System of Administrative Statistics, (ISAS), which will enable timely decision making on germane issues, the first State in the country to adopt the novel technology.
The Director, Research and Methodology, who also doubles as the Acting Statistician General, Mrs. Lara Adebayo made this known in Abeokuta at a two-day Training-the-Trainers (ToT) workshop for Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) and Local Government Councils, organised by the Ministry of Budget and Planning in collaboration with United Nations Fund for Population Activities, (UNFPA).
Delivering her keynote address, Mrs. Adebayo said that the exercise would improve data quality, promote transparency, enhance inter-agency collaboration, noting also that it would enhance faster data processing.
She added that conducting surveys was very expensive which brought about the ISAS innovation, a digital tool that would centralise and link data from various MDAs and LGAs, adding that it would reduce survey burden and create a comprehensive view of the State development and growth in order to move far beyond manual method.
Earlier in her welcome address, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Planning, represented by the Director, Development Partners Coordination, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Mrs. Tade Funmilola admonished the participants to concentrate and make good use of the benefits inherent in the training.
Also speaking a Reform Specialist, Mr. Femi Luther, revealed that ISAS platform represented a transformative step towards harmonising data flows, reducing fragmentation and improving efficiency across the public sector, noting that the training was part of a broader reform agenda, aimed at modernising government operations and positioning the State as a leader in data-driven development in Nigeria.
The Director, Social and Economic Statistics, Mr. Abimbola Bolarinde, advised the participants to make good use of available data at their disposal in planning the State’s Master database for productivity, hinting that it would enable the State Government to effectively budget for its citizenry.
In his presentation on System of Administrative Statistics, Director, Censor and Survey, Mr. Olukayode Oke, noted that a well-developed Integrated System of Administrative Statistics, ISAS would guarantee orderliness in data flow, noting it would be in conformity with international best practice.
On behalf of the participants, Director, Budget, Planning and Statistics, Odogbolu LGA Mrs. Risikat Bello, and Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Moruf Sulaimon, both appreciated the State Government for the privilege presented to be part of the training, promising to make good use of the training in their various agencies.
