The immediate past Statistician-General of Nigeria who doubles as the Director-General of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Dr. Yemi Kale has attributed the usefulness of data as an important tool used in supporting different policies addressing socio-economic challenges such as unemployment and poverty facing the country.

According to him, economies across the globe rely on data to effectively manage and plan for economic development. 
He further added that part of Nigeria’s challenges stems from lack of proper utilization of the country’s data. He said that some policies are designed without the integration of the appropriate data reports. 

He also noted that the right data would help in revealing our economy’s structure while highlighting areas that could attract domestic or foreign investors.

He added that when used right, data spotlights sectors in the economy with high-performance standards and sectors lagging behind, thus making it an asset for intelligent decision making for policy makers, analysts, academicians, investors, professionals, and students alike

While reflecting on Nigeria’s 61st independence anniversary as a democratic nation, he stressed that Nigeria’s major economic drivers were agri-business, manufacturing and services. 

He added that with the effective policies put in place, Nigeria would be able to unlock its potential and create more economic opportunities.

He emphasized the need for more private sector participation in the public sector, adding that this could drive innovation, dynamism, and creativity in governance.

He called on the public sector leaders to follow the mandates of their respective ministries, departments and agencies (MDA) in order to function effectivity and strengthen their institutions.