Government Statistician Professor Samuel Kobina Annim called for the integration of modernized data systems into national decision-making processes.

He said GSS is leading a data revolution to modernize decision-making processes, using innovative tools such as anonymized mobile phone data to address disaster response, poverty mapping and election preparation.

In his presentation at the African Statistics Day (ASD) celebration yesterday in Accra, he highlighted the transformative potential of integrating advanced data sources into national development strategies.

ASD is an event that is commemorated annually on November 18 to deepen public awareness of the significant role statistics play in all aspects of social and economic life in Africa in particular and the world in general.

It was held under the theme “Supporting education by modernizing the production of fit-for-purpose statistics”.

Prof. Annim noted that GSS, in collaboration with Telecel and FlowMinder, anonymized and aggregated mobile phone data, called call detail records (CDR), are now being deployed to analyze mobility patterns in urban, peri-urban and rural areas.

He clarified that this process did not involve tracking individual calls, but was based on aggregated, anonymized data sets.

“We use this data to monitor mobility trends on significant days such as elections, Christmas and New Year, eliminating the need for expensive field surveys,” he explained.

“For example, on election day, the analysis revealed a sharp drop in mobility, with total turnout in certain areas dropping from 2.5 percent to 1.8 percent. This information is critical for security agencies as they devise strategies to ensure good electoral processes.

“This is the power of modernization, data that would otherwise sit idle with mobile network operators now drives useful information for policy interventions,” he noted.

GS Deputy Government Statistician, Dr. Faustina Frimpong-Ainguah, reaffirmed GSS’s commitment to transforming education through innovative and fit-for-purpose statistics, with a focus on the transformative role of data in shaping inclusive and quality education systems.

“Education is transformative, it uplifts communities, strengthens economies and shapes lives. To meaningfully support it, we need data that is accurate, timely and reflects the realities of our communities,” she said.

She further added that the Service has prioritized reducing the time between data collection and publication of findings. “Education stakeholders can now receive actionable information faster, enabling them to respond to challenges faster,” she added.