Rename 'Government Statistician' to boost public trust in official data — Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah

The President of the Institute of Statisticians and Data Scientists, Professor Nicholas N. N. Nsowah-Nuamah, has called for the title Government Statistician to be changed to Statistician General, arguing that the current designation creates a misleading perception about the independence of Ghana's official statistics.

According to him, the title, which dates back to the colonial era, gives many Ghanaians the impression that official statistics are produced to support the government of the day rather than serve the national interest.

The eminent statistician said such perceptions continued to undermine public confidence in official data on inflation, unemployment, population, gross domestic product (GDP) and other key economic indicators.

Speaking in an interview with The executive Spotlight, Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah said the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) was established to serve the Republic of Ghana and not any political administration.

"The institution serves the Republic of Ghana, not the government of the day. The title should reflect that independence," he stated.

Public confidence

Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah said the recurring public criticism of official economic statistics, particularly inflation figures, was partly attributable to the title of the head of the Ghana Statistical Service.

He explained that many people believed statistics released by the GSS are influenced by government simply because the head of the institution is officially designated as the Government Statistician.

"People think that because it is called the Government Statistician, the information produced is in line with what the government wants. That is why some people do not believe the data," he said.

He stressed that GSS produces official statistics using internationally accepted scientific methods and professional standards, adding that governments themselves relied on credible data for effective planning and policymaking.

Recalling public reactions whenever inflation declined significantly, he said some people questioned the credibility of the figures.

"Some friends told me the figures had been cooked because they believed such a reduction was impossible. Others also believed there must have been an invisible hand behind the numbers," he said.

Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah, however, dismissed such claims, insisting that statistical outputs are never manipulated to favour any government.

He explained that throughout his tenure as Deputy/acting Government Statistician, no political officeholder interfered with the production or publication of official statistics which he is sure it has been the case till now

According to him, governments depends on accurate statistics to formulate sound policies and monitor national development and it is not in it interestt to be feed with unreliable data.

Role of the GSS

Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah said the Ghana Statistical Service remained the country's principal producer of official statistics and plays a critical role in national development.

He said the Service conducts the Population and Housing Census, the Ghana Living Standards Surveys Ghana Demographic and Health Survey and labour force surveys, while also compiles the Consumer Price Index (CPI), inflation figures and national accounts, including GDP.

The data generated by the Service, he said, informgovernment policies, budget preparation, development planning and private-sector investment decisions.

He added that the statistics were also relied upon by Parliament, the Bank of Ghana, development partners, researchers and international organisations.

To improve public understanding of official statistics, Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah said the Statistical Service had, over the years, organised regular engagements with journalists to explain the methodology used in compiling inflation and other key indicators.

He said media practitioners were also taken to markets to observe the collection of price data used in calculating inflation.

Inflation explained

Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah further attributed some of the public scepticism surrounding inflation figures to misconceptions about what inflation actually measures.

He explained that a decline in inflation does not mean prices of goods and services are falling, but rather that the rate at which prices increased have slowed.

"When we say inflation has come down, it does not mean prices have come down. It simply means the speed at which prices are increasing has slowed," he explained.

Using an analogy, he said a vehicle reducing its speed from 120 kilometres per hour to 30 kilometres per hour is still moving but at a slower speed.

"In the same way, prices continue to rise, but at a slower pace," he added.

Colonial legacy

Tracing the history of the office, Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah said the title Government Statistician was introduced in 1948 during British colonial administration and has remained unchanged despite reforms to Ghana's statistical system.

He observed that several countries had adopted titles that better reflected the professional independence of their national statistical offices.

He said that the United Kingdom, which introduced the title Government Statistician, has since adopted the title National Statistician, while countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Namibia, Zambia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia designate the heads of their national statistical agencies as Statistician General.Prof. Nsowah-Nuamah said Ghana should align itself with that international practice.

He pointed out that the country already has constitutional and statutory offices such as the Inspector-General of Police, Controller -general of immigration, Commission General of Ghana Revenue Authority, Auditor-General, Accountant-General and Attorney-General.

"So why shouldn't we have a Statistician General? The institution is independent, and the title should make that clear," he said.

He emphasised that changing the title would not merely be symbolic but would strengthen public confidence in official statistics and reinforce the institutional independence of the Ghana Statistical Service.

According to him, credible national statistics are indispensable for evidence-based policymaking, effective economic planning and democratic accountability.