Funding statistics largely with donor resources is going to be a thing of the past — Government Statistician

The government has pledged to provide sustained financial support for Ghana’s statistical operations as part of efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on donor funding for the production of official data.

Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu disclosed that the commitment would cover the core activities of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), including national censuses, surveys and the collection of administrative data.

Speaking to the media after the launch of Ghana in Numbers 2025 in Accra, Dr Iddrisu said the government had assured the Service of the necessary financial backing to maintain its operations.

He described the commitment as a major departure from the existing funding arrangement, under which statistical activities have relied heavily on support from external development partners.

“Funding statistics largely with donor resources is going to be a thing of the past,” he stated.

According to him, the government acknowledges the critical role of credible statistical information in national development and is prepared to assume greater responsibility for financing its production.

He said the funding assurance would enable the GSS to consistently undertake its data collection responsibilities without depending predominantly on external assistance.

“Because data is so relevant to our national development, the government has seen it fit to ensure that going forward, they’ll provide funding to support our core activities, including our censuses, our surveys, our administrative data collection,” he said.

Dr Iddrisu described the government's commitment as an important step towards establishing a more reliable and sustainable financing structure for Ghana’s statistical system.

He also disclosed that the Ministry of Finance had indicated its willingness to support a proposed new Statistics Bill aimed at strengthening the legal framework for producing official statistics.

The proposed legislation is expected to improve coordination among institutions within the national statistical system while providing the Ghana Statistical Service with the institutional independence needed to effectively discharge its mandate.

The GSS is also seeking to modernise the existing legal framework to accommodate emerging developments in data production, particularly the use of artificial intelligence and geospatial technology.

Dr Iddrisu said the proposed reforms would enhance the Service’s ability to generate timely and relevant statistics to support national planning, policymaking and decision-making.