Government tasks aviation experts on accurate data

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Sabiu Zakari, has tasked the Aviation Statistical Committee, to ensure accurate and reliable aviation data to support the nation’s economic growth.

Zakari made the call while delivering a welcome address at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Aviation Statistical Committee meeting in Keffi, Nassarawa State recently.

He said the Ministry was mandated to produce and provide the country’s Aviation statistics, as well as manage statistical system, which encompasses the six major aviation agencies. 

The Permanent Secretary insisted the Ministry has earned trust and recognition from the government, public agencies and private organisations by providing credible statistical data that are widely used in policy formulation and development of plans.He said: “Policy making requires statistical information that is contextualised, well-structured and concise. It is essential that statistical indicators are based on reliable sources that employ appropriate methodologies, that is, the technical and statistical competence to collect, process, and produce accurate data.”

This, according to him, informed the need to lay a more appropriate statistical foundation to support the emerging needs of policy making and to meet the global acceptable standard.Zakari noted that the government is aware of the importance of having a sustained, and cohesive statistical structure to ensure the continuity and growth of the sector.

He added that without access to adequate information, reliable statistical data, and trained personnel, the result-based structure may fall short of achieving its intended objectives. 

He said the challenges of a rapidly changing world, especially in the aviation industry, has brought about the need for flexibility in adapting new methodologies of data production, and therefore charged the Committee to explore all the possibilities to quickly adjust the mechanism of statistical production to support emerging developments in the industry.

He, however, encouraged the members of the committee to develop strategies to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Aviation Statistical data production.“To optimise the performance of statistical department of the Ministry, we have recently approved that Customised training for the Planning, Research, and Statistics Department, and all Statistics Practitioners in the Ministry and its Agencies be conducted by the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), commencing from 15th January, 2018,”he said.

Earlier, Chairman of the Committee and Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Wakil Adamu, reiterated the importance of statistics for decision making and development.Adamu also emphasised the growing need for high quality and timely delivered statistical data and pledged their unflinching dedication to come out with a reasonable and acceptable key aviation statistical indicators and flexibility in adapting to new methodology of data production.