Reliable statistics are essential for measuring progress in reaching development goals and provide essential information about the effectiveness of policies and programmes.
It is against this background that the National Statistics Agency (NSA) is conducting a meeting on the 2023/2027 National Strategy for Development.
The purpose of the meeting was to create awareness of the importance of statistics and their contribution to sustainable development.
Through these engagements, the agency hopes to get input on the comprehensive quality data and indicators that are social, demographic, environmental, and cultural.
Speaking at the meeting, Zambezi Governor Alufea Sampofu urged participants to be engaging towards the cause, which he said will ensure that citizens have the right data, at the right time, to inform policies, monitor progress, and ultimately improve the lives of the people.
"To unlock this potential fully, we must be guided by reliable data that reflects the realities on the ground. The NSDS provides us with the framework to gather this data, ensuring that our development is not only well-informed but also sustainable and inclusive."
Sampofu further urged all stakeholders to embrace the strategy for a common goal, adding that the power of statistics lies in the ability to reveal the truth, highlight national achievements, and expose the areas that need improvement.
The Executive Data Quality Assurance Coordinator, Isak Neema, said their target goal is to bring data collection to the level of international standards.
"Development, planning, and statistics must go hand in hand to make sure that our situation, our socio-economic situation, has been uplifted. I know as a country we have felt that we are so charged because we are rated somewhere there in terms of our economic aspirations, and we probably those things have made an impact on the development aspect that we receive from our development partners and so on, so really data will then come prepare us to another new heights if we use it optimally."