Deputy Finance Minister, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has emphasized the need for innovative financing to strengthen the country’s national data ecosystem.
Speaking at the 2025 Annual Forum for Data Producers, Users and Enhancers, Ampem stressed that a resilient statistical system is crucial for effective governance, economic transformation, and social progress.
Ampem highlighted Ghana’s progress in modernizing its statistical system, including the first fully digital Population and Housing Census in West Africa, high-frequency surveys, and improved access to official statistics through tools like StatsBank and the Ghana Stats App. However, he noted that the system still faces structural constraints, such as heavy dependence on donor funding and limited interoperability.
To address these challenges, Ampem pointed to the upcoming National Strategy for the Development of Statistics III (2026-2030) and the Power of Data Initiative, which aim to provide a coordinated framework for long-term investment and innovation.
The government has allocated GH¢207 million to priority statistical operations in the 2026 Budget, including Gross Domestic Product and Consumer Price Index rebasing, national surveys, and improvements in economic and price-measurement systems.
Ampem urged development partners to continue their support, data producers to innovate and collaborate, and data users to demand more data and champion transparency and accountability. He also encouraged the private sector to explore opportunities in the data economy, such as fintech and precision agriculture.
Also, he encouraged the private sector to tap into emerging opportunities in the data economy, highlighting promising areas such as fintech, precision agriculture, satellite analytics and credit-scoring technologies.
He further reminded citizens that data directly shapes everyday life urging the public to support efforts to build a data-responsive society.
“It determines the schools your children attend, the hospitals you access, the jobs created in your communities, and the taxes collected,” he added.
