By Gift Samuel, The Sight News
The permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Sabiu Zakari has tasked the Aviation Statistical Committee to ensure accurate and reliable aviation data to support the nation’s economic growth.
Zakari who made the call while delivering his welcome address at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Aviation Statistical Committee meeting in Keffi, Nassarawa State, declared that the Federal ministry was mandated to produce and provide the country’s Aviation statistics, as well as managing statistical system which encompasses the six major aviation agencies.
The Permanent Secretary disclosed that the ministry has earned trust and recognition from the government, public agencies and private organizations in providing credible statistical data that are widely utilized in policy formulation and development of plans.
This according to him, informed the need to lay a more appropriate statistical foundation to support the emerging needs of policy making and to meet the global acceptable standard.
Zakari noted that the government was aware of the importance of having a sustained and cohesive statistical structure to ensure the continuity and growth of the sector.
He reminded the participants that without access to adequate information, reliable statistical data and trained personnel, the result-based structure may fall short of achieving its intended objectives.
“Policy making requires statistical information that is contextualized, well-structured and concise. It is essential that statistical indicators are based on reliable sources that employ appropriate methodologies, that is, the technical and statistical competence to collect, process and produce accurate data”.
According to him the challenges of a rapidly changing world, especially in the aviation industry has brought up the need for flexibility in adapting to new methodologies of data production, and therefore charged the Committee to explore all the possibilities to quickly adjust the mechanism of statistical production to support the emerging development in the industry.
He, however, encouraged the members of the committee to develop strategies to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Aviation Statistical data production.
“To optimize the performance of statistical department of the ministry, we have recently approved that Customized training for planning, Research and Statistics Department, all Statistics Practitioners in the Ministry and its Agencies be conducted by Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), commencing from 15th January, 2018,’’ he said.
Earlier in his address, Mr. Wakil Adamu, Chairman of the Committee and Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, reiterated the importance of statistics for decision making and development.
Adamu also emphasised the growing need for high quality and timely delivered statistical data and pledged their unflinching dedication to come out with a reasonable and acceptable key aviation statistical indicators and flexibility in adapting to new methodology of data production.
