Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has stressed that data remains the backbone of Nigeria’s development trajectory, calling for the establishment of a robust national data infrastructure to drive economic growth and informed policymaking.
Speaking at the opening of the 2nd International Conference of the Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria (CISON) in Asaba, the governor, represented by Secretary to the State Government Dr. Kingsley Emu, described the conference theme, “Big Data and Analytics in Nigeria: Developing a National Data Ecosystem for Enhanced National Prosperity”, as both timely and forward-looking.
Oborevwori explained that his administration has made deliberate investments in data-driven governance, funding several statistical surveys that have guided policy and resource allocation. These include the Delta State Statistical Yearbook 2024, GDP reports for 2021 and 2022, Labour Force Survey 2025, Poverty Mapping 2025, and the Market Calendar 2025, among others.
“The true promise of big data lies not in the numbers we collect but in our ability to transform those numbers into actionable knowledge that can shape and change policy,” the governor said. He added that Delta’s Data Community Action and Resilience (DECARES) initiative has already supported over 300,000 poor and vulnerable households through targeted interventions backed by reliable data.
Oborevwori urged Nigerian statisticians to embrace big data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, while also tackling challenges of data governance and privacy in the digital era. He maintained that Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable growth without a cohesive national data ecosystem.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, in a goodwill message delivered on his behalf, described big data as a game-changer for education, capable of optimizing resources and personalizing learning outcomes. Similarly, Delta’s Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sunny Ekedayan, said hosting the conference reaffirmed the state’s commitment to evidence-based governance.
In his welcome address, Dr. Ebuh Godday, President of CISON, said Nigeria must urgently harness the power of big data to inform policy and unlock national prosperity. His call was echoed by the Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, and representatives from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The highlight of the event was the decoration of Governor Oborevwori with CISON paraphernalia and the presentation of an award in recognition of his support for statistics and the development of data-driven policies.
