First national strategy for the development of statistics launched
The country’s first strategic plan for developing the capacity to produce, disseminate and mainstream the use of statistics in all sectors of the economy was launched this week in Windhoek.
The National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) was formulated over the last four years by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) with support from the Partnership for the Development of Statistics in the 21st Century (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and PARIS 21), will run from the financial year 2023/24 to 2026/27.
“The NSDS has been designed in line with the data requirements of Fifth National Development Plan and other frameworks such as the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Agenda 2030,” said Namibia’s National Planning Commission director general, Obeth Kandjoze in a statement at the launch.
It was formulated to ensure that the development of statistical capacity in the country, responds to the development agenda in policy making, he added.
Statistics are a vital part of the development of any country, and Namibia is no exception, according to UNFPA Representative a.i, Ms. Gift Malunga on the occasion of the launch said.
“They are needed for evidence-based decision-making, to support the design, monitoring, and evaluation of national development plans and policies,” she added.
Malunga further said the development and launch of the NSDS is a tremendous milestone in the history of Namibia, as the strategy will play a major role in the development of quality statistics that will be comparable with the rest of the world and fulfill all scientific statistical standards.
“UNFPA remains committed to ensuring the full dissemination and implementation of this strategy and calls upon everyone to do the same,” she concluded.
