By Adetunji Ayo-Brown
In a nation where many say academics is no more the way out, statistics and good governance have been described as the two crucial elements needed to be incorporated in the developmental policy and strategy of any nation.
Using available statistics correctly, the Nigerian economy ought to inadvertently get most if not all its economic and political policies right by now considering the vast human and material resources within the country’s borders.
This call was statistically explained at the 205th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, titled: “Quality Blended Statistics: A Veritable Tool for Universal Breakthrough,” delivered by Prof. Peter Adewumi Osanaiye of the Department of Statistics, Faculty of Physical Sciences of the institution.
Prof. Adewunmi stated that timely, reliable, comparable and available information on social, demographic, economic and environmental conditions which are key factors needed for national planning and development are readily available in statistics for proper societal adaptation.
The statistician pointed out that providing the basic evidence-based policy decisions needed for a democratic society. He urged all, including FG, states, local government officials, policy makers and private sectors to make good use of all statistical tools for effective planning.
Describing statistics as the mathematical tool for analysing numbers, it was also referred to as the study of population, economic and moral actions, as a distinct scientific discipline. Anciently known as the science of state, statistics is one of the major, if not only authentic tools needed for any meaningful national and universal breakthrough.
“Statistical thinking is the mindset that all works are a series of interconnected processes and better understanding of all variations that exist”. Stressing further that, it provides information, evidences needed by governments at all levels for daily administration and policy analysis.
Defined by the United Nation (UN) as the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a country’s affairs at all levels, Adewunmi also pointed out that “good governance is the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development, quoting the World Bank.
At the lecture, Adewumi explained the original principal purposes of statistics, that data is to be used by governments at all levels, meaning council of state, statistics was ultimately derived from the new Latin statisticum collegium, that Statista in Italian means statesman or politician.
He said, during the ancient times, statistics was called a science of state, or science of kings as it has been effectively used by the states and kings. Described as a distinct scientific discipline, developed in the early 19th century as the study population, economic and moral actions
It therefore becomes imperative that people who deal with information in making decisions for our national daily lives, should be statistical literate, having some basic statistical skills, because statistical methods are needed in the decision making, choosing accurate inferences from a collated body of data.
