A chief lecturer in the Department of Statistics at Yaba College of Technology, Dr. Olusesan Olufolabo, has called on the federal government and other government agencies in Nigeria to use statistics and data more effectively to surmount its major challenges, especially in the areas of health, education, and national planning.
Olufolabo, who stated this in a paper he presented as the 18th Inaugural Lecturer of the college, titled ‘Unlocking Insights: The Power of Statistics in Today’s Data-Driven World’, explained how using statistics properly can help improve the lives of Nigerians and guide government policies.
In his research, which involved data from over 8,000 women aged 15 to 49 in Nigeria, Dr Olufolabo found that infant deaths were more common among children of uneducated mothers and those who lived in rural areas. At the same time, babies who stopped breastfeeding early had a higher chance of dying within their first year.
He said the finding, based on statistics, led to the policy of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months in the world.
He pointed out that decisions without proper data are often ineffective and advocated that schools, research centres, and government agencies should include statisticians in their planning and research teams.
The scholar postulated that statistics empowers people to address global challenges, innovate across industries, and improve the quality of life by transforming raw data into meaningful knowledge.
He explained that choosing a statistical technique or tool has become a significant problem, especially for individuals not grounded in the field.
He added that it is important to state that statisticians need to keep abreast of quite a number of facts in order to correctly decide what statistical technique to use for a particular data set in terms of analysis.
“Statistics is now a cornerstone of scientific inquiry, enabling researchers to test hypotheses, validate theories, and draw conclusions. Fields such as medicine, engineering, climate science, and social science rely heavily on statistical analysis to understand phenomena, design experiments, and evaluate interventions.
“From developing life-saving drugs to studying the impact of climate change, statistics stands as a key driver of innovation and progress.’’
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