By Peter Egwuatu

Economists and other private sector operators have called on government and private businesses to make use of useful data in order to initiate policy and investment decisions that address problems in the economy.

The advice was given at the launch of a book titled “Nigeria in Figures, a socio-economic Data Book “written by an economist, Dr Afolabi Olowookere.

Segun Aina, former President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN, and former Chairman of O’dua Group of Companies, who was the chairman at the book launch in Lagos, commended the author for the efforts put in writing the book that has great relevance for policy and decision makers in the country.

He said: “Policy makers and private operators need to be equipped with the necessary data and information for socio-economic performance in the current democratic dispensation. Citizens, businesses and other key stakeholders also need to be able to gauge how the activities of policymakers affect their interests and thereby offer their contribution towards strengthening the country’s policy making process.”

The reviewer of the book, Prof Bright Eregha, also commended the author of the book, stressing that the book is well detailed and researched.

He said: “You can get data and information of virtually all sectors of the economy from the book as the author painstakingly gathered various data from 1999 to date.”

The author, Mr Olowookere, who is an economist and the Managing Director/Chief Economist of the Analysts Data Services and Resources (ADSR), stressed the need for policy makers to be equipped with the necessary data and information for socio-economic performance in the current democratic dispensation.

Olowookere said: “Policy makers need to be supported to devise innovative means of addressing the country’s challenges and achieving its laudable vision with sustainable data and information.”