YABATECH Don Urges Nigeria To Embrace Data-Driven Governance, AI
Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, has called for a stronger culture of data-driven decision-making in governance and national development, saying Nigeria’s ability to plan effectively, allocate resources and tackle emerging challenges depends largely on the availability and proper use of credible data.
The call was made by the College’s pioneer Exaugural Lecturer, Mr. Mohammed Karim Abiodun, during the institution’s first Exaugural Lecture titled “Statistics Beyond Numbers: Linking Faith, Life and Problems in Nigeria.”
Karim, a statistician and administrator, said statistics should no longer be regarded merely as a discipline concerned with figures, tables and mathematical calculations, but as a strategic tool for solving real-life problems and improving decision-making in virtually every sector of the economy.
He argued that the increasing importance of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, machine learning and data science had made statistical knowledge more critical to Nigeria’s future.
According to him, every activity generates data, stressing that the challenge before the nation is to transform such data into reliable evidence for planning and policy formulation.
He said: “Statistics is not merely a collection of techniques; it is a way of thinking that enables individuals and institutions to make better decisions through evidence.”
The lecturer urged policymakers to rely more on credible population and demographic data for effective planning, revenue allocation, infrastructure development, election management, public policy and national security.
Karim also advocated greater application of statistical methods in monitoring elections, identifying voting anomalies, understanding demographic risks and improving the deployment of public safety resources.
He said the era of relying predominantly on intuition and speculation in public administration should give way to evidence-based governance.
The pioneer Exaugural Lecturer further challenged Nigerian tertiary institutions to review their curricula to prepare students for the emerging data-driven economy.
He maintained that the future statistician must be able to calculate, communicate, code and collaborate, particularly as AI and data science increasingly influence the workplace.
Karim said YABATECH, as a technology-focused institution, had an important role to play in producing graduates capable of operating at the intersection of statistics, technology, artificial intelligence and national development.
He noted that statistical thinking was relevant not only to government and business but also to education, healthcare, agriculture, religion, family budgeting and everyday decision-making.
Using the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, he said the importance of reliable data had become particularly evident in tracking infections, deaths, vaccination and other indicators required for public-health decisions.
Presenting the citation of the lecturer, the Registrar of YABATECH, Mrs. Henrietta Adebola Badejo, described Karim as a scholar whose career had combined industry, public service, teaching, research and administration.
She noted that Karim joined YABATECH as a part-time lecturer in 1999 and rose through the academic ranks to become a Chief Lecturer in 2019.
The Rector, Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul, commended Karim for his contributions to scholarship and institutional development.
Dr. Abdul, said the Exaugural Lecture Series would henceforth form part of its academic culture, providing a platform for distinguished scholars to document their intellectual contributions, mentor younger academics and advance conversations around issues relevant to national development.
The event, he said, marked not only the celebration of an individual scholar but also YABATECH’s renewed emphasis on evidence, innovation, technology and knowledge transfer as instruments for solving Nigeria’s development challenges
The Rector’s representative at the Lecture, the Deputy Rector, Academics, Dr. Engr. Ismail Badmus, presented the Exaugural Lecture Award to Karim on behalf of the Rector, formally recognising him as the pioneer lecturer under the College’s new academic tradition.
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