The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has underscored the need to champion the use of data for improved governance and policy making for national development.
According to her, the country’s economic indicators have shown significant improvement in the last 8 months owing to the role of data and other initiatives implored by government.
The Vice President was speaking at the Pre-Global Data Festival Meeting in Accra. The meeting is a precursor to the main data festival to be held in Nairobi, Kenya next year.
Experts, policymakers, and innovators explored cutting-edge technologies and innovative approaches to harness data for sustainable development in Africa.
Speakers emphasized the importance of regional cooperation for data-driven solutions for Africa’s unique challenges such as climate change and inequality.
The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, said government believes that policy must be informed by facts to achieve the “Ghana We Want” agenda.
“We have anchored governance in a data-driven and evidence-informed approach. Permit me to give some background and to highlight a few initiatives: on the economic front, Ghana has shown commendable fiscal stewardship. GDP growth accelerated to 5.3% in the first quarter of 2025, and inflation fell to 12.1% in July.
“That has enabled a narrowed fiscal deficit target, which is a positive signal of recovery and discipline. We build, therefore, on the foundation of a resilient and dynamic economy. One important project is our flagship One Million Coders Initiative, a digital skills and youth employment program being implemented with several partners. We are equipping young Ghanaians with digital and data skills to match the demands of the digital economy,” she stated.
Government Statistician, Dr. Iddrisu Alhassan, stressed the need to treat data as the lifeblood of policy and not as just numbers.
“They demand that we treat data not as numbers on a page, but as the lifeblood of policy and the foundation of accountability,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of the global partnership network for sustainable development, Dr. Claire Melamed praised Ghana for its leadership in the data space and stressed the need to strengthen skills and partnerships.
