UBOS Commemorates Africa Statistics Day with Seven Days of Events

Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has initiated a week-long celebration of Africa Statistics Day, which will culminate on November 18, 2022.

The African Statistics Day (ASD) was established in May 1990 during a summit of African ministers responsible for planning and economic development held under the auspices of UNECA.

Godfrey Nabongo, the Acting Executive Director of UBOS (the official government agency responsible for coordinating, monitoring, and supervising the National Statistical System), stated that ASD is observed on November 18, “but Uganda celebrates a week-long of activities to mark the significance of Statistics and thus the celebration begins today, November 14th, and continues until Friday, November 18th.”

The purpose of the celebrations is to increase public awareness of the vital role statistics play in all facets of social and economic life.

The subject for 2022 is “Strengthening the data system by updating the production and use of agricultural statistics to guide policy to enhance resilience in agriculture, nutrition, and food security on the African Continent.”

“We must get together and rejoice. Monday, he told journalists at the UBOS headquarters in Kampala that although facing problems, they are outweighed by accomplishments.

Nabongo explained that UBOS worked with the Uganda Statistical Society (USS) to enhance relationships since “we cannot do this by ourselves.”

Statistics is a professional field of study. After comprehension, you can hold others accountable, proceed, and obtain services. This day has been celebrated for twenty years. From today till Friday, we shall be celebrating,” he explained.

This year, the focus is on agricultural statistics, but the majority of Africans, and Ugandans in particular, are engaged in agriculture.

“We want to know where we are in terms of agriculture and food security and where we want to go.”

The Director of Economic Statistics, Aliziki Kaudha Lubega, stated that statistics enable the government reflect on inflation and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“For instance, despite Covid-19, we experienced a rise in GDP. This expansion was fueled by the expansion of industry, she explained.

According to Kaudha, inflation has now reached double digits (10.7%), although the rate of increase has slowed.

Last month, UBOS reported that the headline annual inflation rate for October 2022 rose to 10.7% from 10.0% in September 2022. In October, annual core inflation increased to 8.9% from 8.0% in September.

“Some goods like petrol have recorded declines. The rate of gasoline price increase has slowed,” she disclosed, adding that food prices, not services, are driving up inflation.

According to UBOS, maize flour inflation increased to 91.5% and was 60.2% in September. In October, rice inflation increased to 43.3% from 32.2% in September. In September, Matooke (bunch) climbed from 59.8% to 75.4%. Inflation for Irish/Brown potatoes increased by 14.9% in October 2022, compared to an increase of 11.7% in September 2022.

Alternatively, petrol inflation decreased to 45.6% in October 2022 from 55.3% in September, and diesel inflation decreased to 52.1% from 63.0% in September 2022.

She stated that UBOS has so begun agriculture surveys, business inquiries, and trade data surveys (goods and services). We are aware that imports have grown, but exports have also increased.

In the event that UBOS wants to revise or update its data, these surveys, according to Nabongo, satisfy the data requirements of several frameworks.

James Kizza (Director of Digital Solutions and Data Capability), James Muwonge (Director of Methodology and Statistical Coordination Services), James Wokadala (Vice President of Uganda Statistical Society), Godfrey Nabongo (Interim Executive Director of UBOS), Aliziki Kaudha Lubega (Director of Economic Statistics), and Vitus Mulindwa (Director of Economic Statistics) (Deputy Executive Director-Corporate Services).

Director of Methodology and Statistical Coordination Services James Muwonge stated that UBOS’s purpose is to build relationships and cooperation since “we cannot function in isolation.”

“We generate statistics and conduct additional analysis. Muwonge told journalists, “We are focusing on agriculture and food security to ensure that any gaps or information required to fill those gaps are provided so that better judgments may be made.”

He stated that polls, for instance, shape policy and provide direction.

James Wokadala, Vice President of the Uganda Statistical Society and Dean of the School of Statistics and Planning at Makerere University, stated that their mission is to educate, do research, and perform community service.

“It is crucial to improve planning for agricultural statistical creation, dissemination, adoption, and usage. We need solid evidence for planning to be effective,” he stated.

“We are vital to this cause and give value to this entire procedure” (processing data and disseminating it).

Additionally, we are cognizant of the methods employed to create the statistics.”

Thursday at Makerere University will feature a debate on agricultural statistics ideas and methods, according to him.

According to him, the institution generates cadres that contribute to the production of statistics. He lauded UBOS for preserving open-source data but emphasized the need to expand access.

Each year, African Statistics Day focuses on educating decision-makers, development partners, data producers and users, academics, researchers, and the general public about the significance of statistics on a particular issue.

On 16 November 2022, the African Centre for Statistics, in partnership with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, will organize a regional commemoration of ASD.