An economist, Dr Afolabi Olowookere, has said that Nigerian policymakers need to be equipped with the necessary data and information for improved planning and socioeconomic performance in the current democratic dispensation.
Olowookere, the Managing Director/Chief Economist of the Analysts Data Services and Resources, said this in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday.
He said, “Nigeria is presented with another opportunity to improve its socioeconomic performance, particularly at a time when many of the citizens are highly expectant, while some are critical of the role of government in improving their welfare, judging from their past experiences.
“Our policymakers, therefore, need to be supported to devise innovative means of addressing the country’s challenges and achieving its laudable vision. They need to be adequately equipped with the necessary data, information and analysis of where we are, how we got here, what has been done in the past and the outcomes, what works elsewhere that can be adapted, as well as what can be done in the immediate, medium and long-term periods.”
Olowookere added, “Citizens, businesses and other key stakeholders also need to be able to gauge how the activities of policymakers affect their interests and thereby offer their contributions towards strengthening the country’s policymaking process.”
He said that the nation’s current medium-term plan, the National Development Plan (2021–2025), is capable of unlocking Nigeria’s potential in all sectors of the economy for sustainable, holistic and inclusive national development with sustainable data.
