Data Fair in Ghana
Statistics Denmark has participated in the ‘Data Fair’ in Accra, Ghana. Here parliamentarians met with Ghana Statistical Service to discuss the crucial role of data and statistics for decision-making.
31 May 2021 13:00
We have been to Ghana - at least on video. The event took place from May 26-28th with our engagement as part of the Strategic Sector Cooperation, funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the ‘Data Fair’, parliamentarians met with Ghana Statistical Service to discuss the crucial role of data and statistics for decision-making.
Director for Social Statistics, Niels Ploug is speaking on line from Copenhagen, Denmark.
Photo: Harrison Ofori
As part of the ‘Data Fair’ Director for Social Statistics, Niels Ploug, spoke about the relevance of using administrative data for the production of statistics in a video shot at Statistics Denmark. Our colleagues at the Embassy of Denmark, Ghana, were attending the event.
An inventory of administrative data for the production of statistics is based on a digitalisation of administrative procedures. This requires political decisions to modernise the administration of sectors like population registration and give the statistical agency unlimited access to data. And positively, in the key notes of the Ghana Speaker of Parliaments, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, announced that “if we have data, let us go with data”.
Denmark has produced population statistics based on administrative data since the 1970’s and therefore our experts at Statistics Denmark are pleased to assist Ghana, through the Strategic Sector Collaboration, in their development of statistics based on administrative data. The process of digitalising the registration of birth and death and establishing the Ghana Card is essential and a good place to start. A bold vision would be for the upcoming 2021 Population and Housing Census to be replaced by administrative data for 2031 Census.