The Honorable Minister for Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu has lauded the initiative of Nigeria’s Visualised Web Platform project aimed at fostering positive changes through knowledge and information for informed decisions and sustainable progress.
He said that the project will change the narrative about Nigeria from a country without proper and accurate data to a nation that can be rated high among the comity of nations in data utilization and analysis especially in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
According to Bagudu, the Visualized web platform project will serve as a veritable platform for addressing some socioeconomic cultural, and ecological dynamics in the country including climate change.
Speaking during the launch of the project on Monday in Abuja, the Minister stated that the initiative being jointly promoted by the federal government and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, will democratize access to crucial data alliances seamlessly for the benefit of Nigerians and the country’s developmental partners.
In his words: “This platform will be a valuable tool for understanding Nigeria’s data and appreciate some of the challenges it faces across the different regions of the country as it will empower individuals and
organizations to monitor and respond to the evolving challenges and opportunities that can shape Nigeria’s future.”
The Minister expressed the hope that the collaboration and partnerships that made the project possible will inspire further collaboration and innovation in the ongoing efforts to build a more resilient and informed society.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister for Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibraheem, described the launch of the Nigerian Visualized web platform as a milestone that shows unwavering commitment to harnessing the power of data and advanced digitalization techniques for the transformation of Nigeria.
She said that the Nigeria Visualized web platform is a beacon of progress, offering a comprehensive and rich visual story about our nation and its diverse populace.
“The Nigeria visualized web platform is a testament to the transformative impact of collaborative efforts on society, it exemplifies the team’s commitment to sustainable development goals and reinforces the importance of international partnerships in driving positive change” she stated.
Giving a Goodwill Message at the event, the Statistician General and CEO of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Prince Semiu AdeyemiAdeniran, said that the project launch marks a significant milestone in our collective journey towards enhancing the level of data literacy in the country and also increasing the knowledge and understanding of Nigerians dynamic landscape.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the mandate of NBS and resonates with the Office drive to enhance data reporting and visualization capacity for better understanding and interpretation of data management web platform and report which is
arsenal of over 40 detailed data visualizations.
“This initiative offers a unique opportunity to explore the intricacies of Nigeria’s diverse society by utilizing both traditional and big data sources. The goal is to use advanced data visualization techniques to showcase the country’s progress over time and provide policymakers with the necessary information to design, implement, and monitor programs that promote economic growth and improve citizens’ lives.
He promised that the National Statistical Office, being the Coordinator of the Nigerian Statistical System, will continue to support any initiative that results in better data and understanding, saying that the data reporting in the country is expected to increase by over 70% with the launch of this project.
“We will continue to make more and more data available and collaborate with all interested partners to see that users demand for information is satisfied to the best of our ability.
“This commitment is further enshrined in our efforts to establish a data science and innovation lab that will adequately enhance and add value to the data that we produce and disseminate and in addition serve as a center with the best new methods and techniques in sampling to test new data collection.
Earlier in his welcome address, UNDP representative, Mohamed Yahya, explained that the main goal of the initiative is to make data more accessible to the public, government officials, and private businesses.
“By doing so, we hope to aid in public policy-making and private engagements. We have created a platform that goes beyond just displaying graphs and charts. We understand that not everyone has an economic background and reading these visuals can be challenging. That’s why we have made data visualization easy to understand and accessible to everyone.” he added.
Yahya informed that the platform offers interactive tools that allow for easy access to information such as Nigeria’s economic situation from 1975 to the present, which can provide valuable insights into the aspirations and perspectives of Nigerians.
On his part, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr Mathias Schmale who was represented by Mr Nonso Obikili maintained that meeting the 2030 agenda for sustainable developments requires that the government continue to track indicators that outline the progress that will be made around the world, hence the need for adequate data.
He added that in a country as diverse as Nigeria, adequate data will help the United Nations to better understand “where we are headed, what we are doing correctly and where we need to pull together to accelerate actions.”
Olude Omolade
For: Director Information