A Chief Lecturer in the Department of Statistics, Yaba College of Technology, Dr. Olusesan Olufolabo, has called on federal government and other government agencies in Nigeria to make better use of statistics and data to address the major challenges confronting it, particularly in the areas of health, education, and national planning.
Dr Olufolabo who was delivering his paper titled: “Unlocking Insights: The Power of Statistics in Today’s Data-Driven World”, during the 18th Inaugural Lecture of the college held at the Yusuf Grillo Auditorium, explained how using statistics properly can help improve the lives of Nigerians and guide government policies.
In his research, which involved data from over 8,000 women aged 15 to 49 in Nigeria, he found that infant deaths were more common among children of uneducated mothers and those who lived in rural areas while babies who stopped breastfeeding early had a higher chance of dying within their first year.
The findings according to him, led to the policy on exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months in the world
The inaugural lecturer stressed the need for schools, research centres, and government agencies to always include statisticians in their planning and research teams from the start, so as to make decisions supported by adequate data to ensure effective result
"Transforming raw data into meaningful knowledge, statistics empowers us to address global challenges, innovate across industries and improve the quality of life in general,"Dr. Olufolabo maintained
Choosing a statistical technique or tool to use in statistics according to him, has become a major problem especially to individuals not well grounded in the field of statistics
"It is important to state that users of statistics need to keep abreast with quite a number of facts in order to correctly decide what statistical technique to use for a particular data in terms of analysis".
“Statistics is now a cornerstone of scientific inquiry, enabling researchers to test hypotheses, validate theories, and draw conclusions. Fields such as medicine, engineering, climate science, and social science rely heavily on statistical analysis to understand phenomena, design experiments, and evaluate interventions".
"From developing life-saving drugs to studying the impact of climate change, statistics stands as a key driver of innovation and progress”.
The Chief Lecturer says statistics is highly relevant in all facets of life and no meaningful planning can be done without statistics, hence, there is need to embrace statistics in all professions.
“It is a statement of fact that scientific results are only validated and considered useful when statistical techniques are applied appropriately, therefore the inclusion of statistician should be made in all observational and experimental studies right from the planning stage”; he affirmed.
"Today’s good decisions in all aspects of our lives are driven by data, chief executives of both public and private establishments, clinicians, business managers, engineers and all professionals are increasingly required to justify decisions based on empirical quality data, and statistics provides guidance in evidence-based decision making and policy formulation.
“Always remember that you can easily lie with statistics but you can never and never say the truth without statistics, therefore, statistics is life and life is statistics”; he declared.
Rector of the institution, Dr. (Engr.) Ibraheem Abdul, who also was the chairman of the inaugural lecture, in his closing remarks said that Dr. Olufolabo was able to establish the importance of usage of statistics to every one in one way or the other.
“The inaugural lecturer of today carried out a study which provided an assessment of the relative importance of factors associated with neonatal and post-neonatal mortality in Nigeria. The study established the association and health infant mortality and some major demographic and socioeconomic and health care variables”.he stated
Dr. Abdul highlighted the highpoints of the inaugural lecture which included high infant mortality being experienced by children born to mothers who are uneducated and live in the rural areas
He also reminded the audience of importance of breastfeeding and how it can reduce the mortality rate , saying cessation of breastfeeding increased the risk of mortality significantly during the first year of life.
He pointed that the National Policy and Advocacy on exclusive breastfeeding for first six months of life of a child was made from the study carried out by the lecturer, propagated and sponsored by United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and culminated into a policy formulated that women should henceforth proceed on six months maternity leave after child birth, a kudos to the research of Dr. Olufolabo.
Dr. Abdul added that the inaugural lecturer counseled the College to have a Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis (LISA) in the Department of Statistics similar to what exists in most tertiary institutions within and outside the country, and the laboratory will provide a meeting point among researchers for meaningful interactions on statistical advice.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you will agree with me that the Lecturer of today has done justice to the topic, and he has actually delivered and so I want to discharge and acquit him for presenting today’s inaugural lecture to the best of his ability, and I hereby present him the certificate of discharge in recognition of his outstanding performance and successful presentation of the 18th Inaugural lecture," the Rector submitted
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