A senior academic at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Abiodun Mohammed Karim, has urged Nigerian leaders to move away from speculative decision-making and adopt statistical data as an indispensable tool for evidence-based governance.
Delivering his address on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the Yusuf Grillo Auditorium, YABATECH Main Campus in Yaba, Lagos, Karim asserted that precise quantitative analysis must underpin every aspect of statecraft, ranging from public policy design and national budgeting to election management, institutional planning, and sustainable economic development.
Karim, who currently serves as Chief Lecturer in the Department of Statistics and Director of the institution’s Epe Campus, outlined how empirical data directly impacts the stability and development of the nation:
Statistical metrics provide the baseline required to accurately target social interventions, evaluate government spend against concrete outcomes, and optimize state revenue allocation.
Data science tools remain vital for auditing voter rolls, optimising polling center distributions, and detecting electoral anomalies such as suspicious turnout spikes or duplicate registrations.
Modern statistical techniques, including predictive analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are re-shaping public administration. Universities and polytechnics must overhaul traditional curricula to equip young statisticians with skills in programming, big data analytics, and ethical data management.
During his presentation, titled “Statistics Beyond Numbers: Linking Faith, Life and Governance in Nigeria,” Karim highlighted persistent institutional barriers that hamper data utilization nationwide, including political interference, underfunding of statistical bodies, and slow data publishing cycles.
”Decisions grounded in sound statistics preserve public trust and guarantee that limited resources serve those who need them most,” Karim stated, calling on the Federal Government to strengthen the independence of the National Statistical System and invest in robust data collection infrastructure.
