By Festus Ahon

ASABA—DIRECTOR of Statistics, Delta State Ministry of Economic Planning, Mr. Joe Odhogbi, has decried the dearth of statistical data, contending that it is impossible for government to judge the progress recorded in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs.

Speaking during a workshop on questionnaire and instruments for data mop up for end point assessment of implementation of the MDGs in the state, Odhogbi noted that the implementation of the MDGs was not necessarily driven by empirical evidence.

Gov Ifeanyi Okowa

Saying that the state in 2007 keyed into the global agenda meant to tackle development and challenges between 2000 and 2015, he listed the goals as eradicating poverty and hunger; achieving Universal Primary Education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving mental health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.

He explained that the workshop was aimed at finding ways for the state to get its report card in preparation for moving into the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

The workshop, he said, also sought to define the state’s implementation and achievements of the MDGs in empirical terms as well as preparing to key into the SDGs which would run between 2016 and 2030.

Emphasizing the need to start the SDGs agenda on a sound footing, he said it was imperative for statisticians to put together a comprehensive and reliable end point report of the MDGs.