ECOWAS countries urged to invest in data production

Accra (Ghana), May 6: Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should invest more in data production to boost their economic development, said an ECOWAS official here Wednesday.
Kofi Konadu Apraku, ECOWAS commissioner for macroeconomic policy and economic research, made the remarks at the ECOWAS regional statistical coordination meeting held in Accra.
The development of new data sources, including big data, should be exploited to improve the provision of official statistics to leverage advances in new technologies that would make data production easier and more cost-effective in the region.
The commissioner noted that over years, financial resources had been a major challenge for the production of requisite statistical data needed for the ECOWAS integration agenda.
The commission had been involved in resource mobilization from various development partners for the implementation of its Regional Statistical Program at the national and regional levels, he said.
This, the commissioner added, was to sustain effective functioning of regional and national statistical systems, particularly through adequate human, material and financial resources.
Source: Xinhua