The senator representing Ondo South and Chairman of Global Fleet Group, Jimoh Ibrahim, has stressed the need for Africa to embrace data-driven development to boost its economy and governance.
Speaking at the sidelines of the ongoing IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC, Ibrahim challenged both institutions to recognise the critical role data plays in achieving Africa’s development goals.
According to him, data is the bedrock for any meaningful economic and political progress. He said no government can effectively fight crime or tackle poverty without accurate population and identity data.
“Population data and individual records are key. Every citizen should have an identity passport capturing who they are and what they do,” Ibrahim said.
The senator also pointed out the importance of currency data for African central banks. He explained that understanding how much cash circulates inside and outside the banking system is vital for proper economic planning.
He added that electoral data is equally crucial to understand voter participation and why some citizens stay away from politics.
“Every sector needs data. If we don’t act now, in five years, it will be almost impossible to run any government in Africa without reliable data,” he warned.
Ibrahim argued that Africa’s current economic challenges cannot be addressed with guesswork. He proposed that African countries should commit at least 15 per cent of their budgets to technology-driven data collection and management over the next decade.
“No one can help Africa without data. Development will remain impossible if we fail to prioritise data,” he said.
He also criticised the IMF for making economic projections without solid, country-specific data. He urged that the IMF should only offer loans to African countries that have proper national data banks in place.
“Nigeria will soon lead the way once the Data Bank bill is passed into law. Everyone will be a stakeholder in the new data system,” he said.
Ibrahim appealed to the World Bank to support Nigeria’s planned federal data bank once it becomes operational.
He challenged the IMF, saying, “You want your loans repaid, and you want Africa to grow. But how can any country develop without a data bank? Relying on small sample surveys and using Excel sheets to predict Africa’s future is not fair. You must insist on proper data.
