STATISTICS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Abstract:The paper looked at the importance of statistics
in sustaining and maintaining development and it started with the words of Hon.
Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyongo of Kenya. The paper stressed the role, power and
importance of statistics in providing scientific information for modern
decision making. Different developmental policies ranging from promoting more
productive agriculture and industrialization to the well promoted and accepted
structural adjustment programme were briefly discussed. Also discussed were
sustainable development and its indicators with the establishment of the United
Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) to monitor countries’
efforts in developing and using sustainable development indicators so that
appropriate data and information would be provided. Of course the challenges
were highlighted and it was recommended that national statistical offices
should always take the lead in the development and publication of sustainable
development indicators and the consideration of social capital, the role of the
state, and the importance of local government and non-governmental
organizations in sustainable development indicators