A high-level delegation from the Institute of Statisticians and Data Scientists (ISDS), led by the first Vice President Prof. Ezekiel N. N. Nortey, has paid a courtesy call on the Government Statistician, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, in Accra.

The delegation included Dr. Richard Nkrumah (second Vice President), Naa Kombat (Member), Dr. Ebenezer Acquah-Bentil (Member), Madam Margaret Araba Forson (Member), Mr. James Amewudah (Executive Secretary), and Ms. Jennifer Amanfu (Administrative Assistant).

The meeting commenced with brief pleasantries, followed by an introduction of the ISDS team by Mr. James Amewudah. Prof. Nortey extended greetings from the president of the institute, Prof. Nicholas N. N. Nsowah-Nuamah, to the government statistician, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, and delivered a statement on behalf of the council, outlining ISDS’s commitment to promoting and advancing the statistical and data science professions in Ghana.

In his remarks, Dr. Iddrisu expressed his appreciation for the visit and acknowledged Institute’s proactive engagement. He noted the value of ISDS’s expertise and assured the delegation of his support for closer collaboration. The Government Statistician committed to facilitate the resubmission of the ISDS Bill to the Minister for Finance for resubmission to Cabinet for approval and onward submission to Parliament.

He also revealed that the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and Parliamentary leaders had recently undertaken a study tour in the UK, and key lessons from the study tour will benefit the transformation drive of GSS and strengthen the partnership between GSS and ISDS.

Dr. Iddrisu warmly welcomed ISDS’s proposals for collaboration and recommended that both institutions work toward a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize and cement their partnership.

Touching on logistical support, regarding the ISDS’s request for office space and a vehicle, Dr. Iddrisu indicated that GSS will examine the request based on availability and revert.

He further highlighted key areas where collaboration between the GSS and the ISDS will be crucial, given their expertise. These areas align with the key priorities being implemented by the GSS including rebasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Producer Price Index (PPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI), Labour Force Survey and other relevant surveys, preparation of the Monthly Indicator of Economic Growth (MIEG), and capacity building, among others.

He also outlined plans to transform and rebrand the Service to enhance its relevance and national visibility and elevate GSS to a position where it is contributing more deeply to evidence-based decision and policy making and providing relevant and timely data to inform policy/project implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Dr. Iddrisu emphasized the importance of using statistics to guide national development and assured the ISDS delegation of his commitment to advancing the partnership and leveraging the ISDS’s professional capabilities to support GSS in promoting evidence-based decision making. He emphasized his commitment to transforming the perception of the staff about statistical work within the public and the civil service.

He concluded by describing the visit as "timely and welcome," and encouraged sustained engagement between ISDS and GSS.