Experts are stressing the need for efficient data collection to address waste and other power distribution challenges in the country.

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis acknowledges the improvement in recent times.

Programme Coordinator, Prof. Atinuke Olusola Adebanji, however, observes there is a lot more to be done to get it right. She spoke at a workshop in Kumasi.

“Though their collection data has improved, collecting the right information is the key thing, if you don’t have the right data, there’s nothing you can do. Garbage in, garbage out,” he said.

World Bank Collection of Development Indicators, compiled in 2011, indicates reported electric power transmission and distribution losses in Ghana hit  22,638,000 mWh. In 2014, the figure stood at 22.59%.

Its highest value over the past 43 years was 28.83 in 2003, with the lowest value of 1.99 in 1999. Prof Adibanje says predictive data is essential in spate of population growth.

“Predictive modeling is very important, this helps to plan ahead, how the demand will be, how does it determine expectation,  how do make plan without it, ” she asked.

Professor Kwasi Preko is Dean of Physical and Computational Sciences at KNUST college of Science. He advised service providers to carry out routine tree trimming exercises backed by data.

Professor Preko believes it will help curb power cuts resulting from incessant falling of trees on electrical transmission lines.

“If trees are the problem, then we need data on tress, so we give priority to certain areas,” he said.

The centre is facilitating the training to promote collaboration between researchers and policymakers.

Pro Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof Rita Akosua Dickson, says the University is working to close the gap between academia and Industry.

She stated this being done through a number of initiatives like the analytic workshop, saying “we hope to close this gap completely.”

The three-day programme was organized for thirty Information Management Information Systems Staff of PDS Ghana.