Lack Of Comprehensive Data Leading To Inadequate Policies, Vice President Says; Promises To Address Issue

Vice President Kashim Shettima has admitted that a lack of comprehensive data is leading to inadequate policy decisions. He promised measures to address this issue.

Addressing the 2023 Comptroller-General of Customs Annual Conference in Lagos on Thursday, Shettima said data plays an important role in guiding the ever-evolving landscape in the modern world, adding that Nigeria can't afford to stay disconnected from the world because of inadequate data.

Shettima called President Bola Tinubu an "accounting virtuoso" and said "tech-savvy Nigerians" were appointed into critical government positions to ensure strategic planning, according to the official website of the State House.

"Even before we were given this mandate, we knew that every facet of our lives is woven with data. We must not only commit to deploying data to make decisions within the government but also address the historical inadequacies of Nigerian policymaking, often impeded by a lack of comprehensive data," the vice president said.

Shettima said the current administration demands a transformative intervention.

"There's no doubt that the chiming of this clock of modernity is inviting us to take action. It's inviting us to adopt evidence-based processes and innovative strategies to align policies with the objectives of this administration, to streamline decision-making, and to resolve conflict arising from misinformation and inconsistent policies within the government," he explained.

The vice president underscored the "need for the integration of complex data to interpret the patterns of transactions and interactions in international trade."

Data will provide Nigeria with the "sharpest lens" to understand various aspects of trade, alongside establishing border security. "We can easily determine the traffic of people and goods around a specific border and share indisputable information with other nations with just a punch on our computers," he added.

"I assure you that we remain resolute in our belief that Nigeria is unequivocally on track not only to accumulate terabytes of factual surveys but also to establish a robust public service system that upholds data integrity at its core," the vice president said.

He praised the Nigerian Customs Service for compiling a large amount of data to shape a public service system.

Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, the director general of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), also praised the customs for improving global service delivery via maritime.

Last month, the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) unveiled a $1.1 billion plan to rehabilitate all ports in the country in the first quarter of 2024.