The Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Hon. Sonny Ekedayen has reiterated the statistical saying that valid and reliable data is crucial for any policy planning process.
He stated this yesterday in Asaba, at the commencement of a two-day training workshop on the conduct of the State’s 2024 Poverty Mapping Survey, by the Department of Statistics, Delta State Ministry of Economic Planning in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Abuja.
In Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistical Office (NBS) is the main government department responsible for the collection and dissemination of official statistics.
Ekedayen, who encouraged participants at the workshop to seize the opportunity to provide accurate data so that the MORE Agenda of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Oborevwori can be effectively defined, noted that the training workshop that would cover education, health and standard of living, which would go a long way in assisting the Delta State Government in poverty reduction and eradicating hunger, as well as empowering the government to address poverty effectively, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Welcoming statisticians drawn from across the State state for training in the task of accurate collection of data during the survey, Ekedayen, who was represented by the Director of Budget, Mr. Thomson Olije, declared the training workshop opened.
He commended the participants for answering the clarion call on the crucial task. Adding that “The task will benefit, not only Deltans, but the entire nation and continent.
“I understand that this is the third time the state is embarking on this exercise. As we widen our scope in this exercise, because we learn more everyday, we are indeed grateful to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for always being supportive and helpful to us in terms of training.
“As statistical personnel, we cannot over-emphasize the importance of this poverty mapping survey. Poverty is multi-dimensional, that is, there are different areas of poverty. The upcoming exercise is especially crucial given our ever-increasing population and the struggle government is going through to reduce poverty and eradicate hunger.”
Also speaking, the Director of Statistics, Dr. Nkechi Maduemezie, noted that poverty was multi-dimensional, and that it deals with deprivation in so many areas, namely health, food, education, standard of living, finance, to mention but a few.
While saying that the Delta Government has statistically positioned it, Maduemezie asserted that “His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and the support of the Economic Planning Commissioner, Mr. Sonny Ekedayen has put statistics as one of the Special Purpose Vehicle for the realization of the MORE Agenda.
Adding that “survey is very crucial for planning in the state. I can call it one of the most important surveys after the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) survey in the state.