The 2nd Annual International Conference of the Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria (CISON) held in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, has emphasised the need for a national data ecosystem to drive national prosperity.
The call is contained in a communique signed by the Chairman, Communique Drafting Committee, CISON, Dr. John Nwabueze Igabari, made available to journalists at the end of the three- day conference on Saturday in Asaba.
The conference also called for the provisions of adequate resources for public awareness.
It also recommended that adequate resources should be devoted to increasing public awareness of the benefits and potential of big data analytics.
It further called for a clear and functional National Policy that provides for institutional harmonization and adequate participation from both public and private sectors.
It also emphasised the need for inter-agency collaboration and cooperation to harness the potential of big data analytics.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that conference had the themed:“Big Data and Analytics in Nigeria: Developing a National Ecosystem for Enhanced National Prosperity”.
It brought together experts from academia, industry, finance, economy, both public and private sectors to deliberate on the potential of big data analytics in enhancing national development.
NAN also reports that the conference highlighted the importance of big data analytics in understanding patterns in the economy, predicting market trends, optimizing resource allocation, and measuring the impact of government programmes.
Participants agreed that big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning have become catalysts for development in every aspect of human endeavor.
The conference identified several challenges that needed to be addressed, including inadequate policy alignment and poor institutional harmonization among others.
The conference highlighted the need to balance the benefits of big data analytics with the need to protect individual privacy and ensure the accuracy of official statistics.
Participants emphasised the need for investments in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity to support the growth of big data analytics.
The conference noted that there was need for investments in infrastructure and human capital development to support the growth of big data analytics.
The conference provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss the potential of big data analytics in driving national prosperity.
The resolutions and recommendations made by the conference provide a roadmap for harnessing the potential of big data analytics to drive national development.
