Ghana's Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, yesterday opened the Pre-Global Data Festival High-Level Meeting with a call for stronger investment in data-driven governance, innovation, and collaboration.She said the government's policies were anchored in evidence-based decision-making that ensures inclusive development.The programme was on the theme: 'Driving Data Innovation, Policy, and South-South Collaborations.'The Vice President, who delivered the keynote address, stressed that in an uncertain world, data remained a powerful tool for shaping the future.According to her, Ghana was determined to mainstream data stewardship across government to improve governance and public service delivery.She pointed to recent progress on the economic front, highlighting GDP growth of 5.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 and inflation dropping to 12.1 per cent in July.These achievements, she noted, reflected fiscal discipline and resilience.The Vice President used the platform to showcase flagship programmes, including the One Million Coders Initiative, which is equipping young Ghanaians with digital and data skills to compete in the fast-growing digital economy.She explained that the initiative signalled Ghana's intention to move from being a consumer of technology to becoming an active contributor.The Vice President also highlighted the government's reforms in the strategic mineral sector, including the launch of the GoldBod agency and the GoldBod Task Force to regulate gold trading and combat illegal mining.She praised the Ghana Statistical Service for its adaptability and leadership, especially in building long-term partnerships and ensuring evidence informs national policies.Professor Opoku-Agyemang also underlined the importance of international collaboration and cited Ghana's work with Colombia and Kenya through the "Make Inclusive Data the Norm" project as proof of the Global South's ability to design solutions that reflect the realities of underserved populations.Furthermore, she stated that such initiatives demonstrate how citizen-generated data can shape inclusive outcomes while giving the Global South a stronger voice in global data governance.The Veep also expressed gratitude to the United Nations, the World Bank, civil society, the private sector, and other partners for supporting Ghana's data transformation journey.The Government Statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, called on African governments to invest massively in data systems and treat data as a public good to accelerate national development.He said the inclusive growth agenda could not be achieved without evidence-based planning, stressing that "data is not numbers on a page, but the lifeblood of policy and the foundation of accountability.""From climate change to inequality, the issues before us demand more than good intentions.
They demand evidence.
They demand that we treat data as a true public good," he elaborated.Highlighting Ghana's efforts, Dr Iddrisu indicated that the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) had taken bold steps to institutionalise data stewardship across government.He noted that the meeting was more than a dialogue, but a platform to showcase innovations, forge partnerships and ensure Africa's data stories took their rightful place on the global stage in Nairobi next year."The question before us is simple: will we allow data to remain underused, or will we harness it fully to build societies that are more inclusive, more resilient, and more just?
The answer must be action," he added BY KINGSLEY ASARE & AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
