FAO Boosts MDAs’ Capacity on Credible Data Dissemination

FAO Boosts MDAs’ Capacity on Credible Data Dissemination

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said it is determined to reinforce the competences of federal government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to generate, analyse, store and disseminate credible and timely data.

Assistant FAO Representative (Programmes), Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, said 38 participants from MDAs in Kano, Cross River, Lagos States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are involved in the second phase of data training exercise.

Speaking during the programe in Abuja, Suleiman, who was represented by FAO Project Focal Point, Mr. Alphonsus Onwuemeka, pointed out that the aim of the programme was to strengthen institutional capacity, improve data and information systems for better policy planning.

According to him, the training, with the theme: “Strengthening Institutional Capacity for improved Data and Information Systems for Policy Planning and Tracking the SDGs in Nigeria,” will expose the participants to the use of Open Data Sources Kit (ODK), technology as well as cost-free- R-package and python software for data generation and analysis.

The FAO representative said emphasis was on the skills of trainees on the use of tools in data analysis on statistics.
Also, speaking at the occasion, the Director, Planning and Policy Coordination, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Zubairu Abdullahi, stated that data collection was important to manage resources to ensure sustainability.
He said the ministry was particularly interested in generating data that everyone could utilise.

According to him, Africa was looking onto Nigeria for its data needs, adding that it cannot afford to disappoint.
Essentially, the training-of-trainers’ project was designed for data and statistics units’ staff of federal and state participating MDAs on data generation and analysis.
The project aims to reinforce the competences of the National MDAs to generate, analyse, store and disseminate credible and timely data and information

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