CISON seeks introduction of statistics in secondary schools, census reform 

The Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria (CISON) says it is pushing to introduce statistics in secondary schools to strengthen statistical literacy and develop future data professionals.

The President of the Institute, Dr Godwin Ebuh, disclosed this at a media briefing ahead of CISON’s third International Conference and Golden Jubilee celebration in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ebuh said the institute had secured the commitment of the Minister of Education that Statistics would be introduced into the secondary school curriculum during the next curriculum review.

According to him, early exposure to statistics will help Nigerian children overcome the fear of numbers and develop greater interest in the subject from a young age.

Ebuh said the reform was one of the key outcomes of engagements between the institute and relevant stakeholders on the future of the statistics profession.

The president also called on the Federal Government to urgently reform the country’s census process to ensure the regular conduct of population and housing censuses.

He said that Nigeria’s last census was conducted in 2006, stressing that the country could not effectively plan for its population without accurate and up-to-date demographic data.

“How do you reform? How do you plan for your people when you do not have their number? You are estimating.

“We are calling on the government to engineer a drastic reform that will make our census something we should not struggle to conduct; it should come seamlessly every 10 years, which is the required benchmark,” he said.

Speaking on the institute’s achievements, Ebuh identified its legal recognition as one of its major achievements in its 50-year history.

He said that after more than two decades of legislative advocacy, the Chartered Institute of Statisticians Act was enacted in 2022 and officially gazetted in 2023.

The CISON president described the development as a major milestone that gave statutory recognition and professional authority to the body.

He also highlighted its youth-development programmes, including national competitions for undergraduate students organised in collaboration with the National Mathematical Centre.

Ebuh said the programmes were designed to expose young people to statistical methodology, analysis and other areas of the discipline while encouraging them to pursue careers in statistics and related fields.

Dr Michael Mba, Chairman, National Organising Committee, said the institute was strengthening capacity in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and big data analytics through training, workshops and collaboration with relevant institutions.

Mba, who is also the Central Bank of Nigeria’s representative on the CISON Council, said the institute had exposed members and stakeholders to tools such as Python and machine learning.

He said CISON was exploring collaboration with professional bodies and institutions to strengthen Nigeria’s AI and big data infrastructure.

He said that discussions were ongoing with the African Development Bank on establishing a big data innovation laboratory in Nigeria.

Mba also called for closer collaboration between data-producing and data-using agencies, saying this will improve public understanding of statistical methodologies and confidence in official statistics.

He said collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had enabled academia and other stakeholders to engage with methodologies used in producing official statistics.

On public understanding of inflation, Dr Victor Atoi, Managing Editor, Journal of CISON, urged journalists to properly explain the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and inflation when reporting economic developments.

Atoi clarified that a decline in the inflation rate did not mean that prices of goods and services had fallen.

He said that inflation measured the rate at which prices increased, adding that when the rate declined, prices could still be rising, but at a slower pace.

Atoi said improving statistical literacy among journalists and the public was important for ensuring accurate interpretation of economic data.

On the professionalisation of the statistics profession, the Registrar of CISON, Mrs Ngozi Agboegbulem, said membership was open to users and producers of statistics.

Agboegbulem said that membership was also open to professionals and students in fields including statistics, data science, demography, data analytics, economics, mathematics and social sciences.

She said the institute would commence certification examinations in 2027 for members seeking to become chartered statisticians.

The registrar said that interested persons could register through the institute’s website by completing their profiles and providing the required information.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CISON is hosting its third International Conference and Golden Jubilee celebration from Oct. 12 to Oct. 16, in Abuja with the theme “From Legacy to Leadership”.

The officials said the conference, which marks 50 years of statistical development in Nigeria, started as the Nigerian Statistical Association, established in 1976.

“The multi-day event will feature a pre-conference workshop on advanced spatial data analysis, scientific sessions, paper presentations and discussions on the future of data governance.

“It will also feature the induction of new members, admission of institute fellows and special awards to recognise contributions to the statistics profession.”

The institute said the anniversary would also provide an opportunity to honour pioneers of statistics in Nigeria and encourage wider engagement with the profession across sectors. (NAN)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman