Namibia needs to raise public awareness of statistics in the agricultural sector, as they are useful for planning, monitoring, and evaluation purposes.

These were the sentiments shared by various speakers at the commemoration of African Statistics Day.

Agriculture offers significant opportunities and solutions for inclusive and sustainable economic growth, as well as creating decent employment and wealth.

To achieve this, the country needs to prioritize the modernization of agricultural statistics and the identification of data sources.

UNDP country representative Alka Bhatia says without statistics, it will be difficult for Namibia to plan and monitor the agricultural sector.

Decision makers and other stakeholders are also urged to strengthen the data system and take agricultural statistics seriously in Africa to ensure food security and eradicate poverty.

NSA statistician general and CEO, Alex Shimuafeni, says Namibia is fast catching up on an improved data system, despite various challenges such as technology in the gathering and dissemination of agricultural statistics.

To date, the UN system continues to support Namibia through the NSA in the integration of digital and online platforms to enhance interoperability for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure.

African Statistics Day was adopted in 1990 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, a conference of African Ministers responsible for Planning and Economic Development.