President Bola Tinubu has described the absence of comprehensive data as the major technology affliction affecting Nigeria’s growth and Africa.

Mr Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shetima, said this at the comptroller-general of customs’ 2023 conference on Thursday in Lagos.

He noted that the inadequacy of data had impeded Nigeria’s ability to make informed decisions, perpetrating a circle of missed opportunities and sub-optimal outcomes.

He added that the fourth industrial revolution had hindered the country.

“Every part of the world is at the mercy of data, and every day, we are reminded of the expanding volume of data upon which our divisions must be rooted. Data is the life guiding the ever-evolving landscape of our modern world. It is this realisation that sounds the invaluable goal of this century that prompted Tinubu’s strategic placement of tech-savvy Nigerians in critical positions in the government.

“These appointments ensure not only strategic planning but also the cultivation of Nigeria as a hub of refined minds in the global knowledge economy. We must not only commit to deploying data to make decisions within the government but to address the historical inadequacies of Nigeria’s policy-making often impeded by lack of comprehensive data,” he said.

He pointed out that the current governance landscape demands a transformative intervention, and the solutions brought everyone together today.

“The integration of complex data to interpret the volumes of our transitions and interactions is even more needed in international trade because the dividends transcend to the determination of revenues. Data provides the sharpest links for us to connect the dots. Even in establishing the security of our borders, we can easily determine the traffic of people and goods around a specific border and share indisputable information with other nations with just a punch on our computers,” he said.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the customs service performs critical roles bordering on revenue collection, participation in national and international trade, and securing the national borders against the infiltration of the country with illegal items, among others.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said the NCS had recognised its role in ensuring modern-day technology as a strong driver and an enabler for it to innovate and develop capacity and capability that would take the service to an enviable position.

He added that the NCS would compete and compare with other services of similar likes anywhere in the world with enhanced technology.

“For the country to achieve the N1 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) target of President Tinubu between now and 2030, the NCS must play a critical role by leveraging technology in data analysis. They should be able to form a well-thought-out decision-making after analysis, which is critical and germane,” he said.

(NAN)