Bane Of Nigeria's Development: Lack of Research and Data Base.... Says Onuesoke

"The presence of a data base of good quality, is essential for  government and its institutions to accurately plan, evaluate and fund developmental activities"..... Onuesoke.

"If ordinary Senegal could launch such a data base on the monitoring of its citizenry, then, Nigeria who is the  giant of Africa should be able to do better than that".


The bane of Nigeria's development has been attributed to the absence of a data base and the lack of research.

This was the position of a prominent Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Sunny Onuesoke.

The PDP chieftain observed that the bane of Nigeria development has to do with none conduction of research, provision of data  base and statistics for planning.

According to Onuesoke, "the presence of a data base of good quality, is essential for  government and its institutions to accurately plan, evaluate and fund developmental activities".

Onuesoke who made the statement at Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos while on his way from Kigali, Rwanda on a three day climate  change programme, explained that every modern development plan today, depends on research work, data and statistics but, the case of Nigeria case seems to be different.

Describing development as critical and essential to the sustenance and growth of any nation, the PDP Chieftain pointed out that a country is classified as developed when it is able to provide qualitative life for her citizenry, adding that, provision of such qualitative should be backed up with an effective data base.

He recalled that Nigeria, in the last fifty years, has been battling with the problems of development in spite of huge human, material and natural resources in her  possession because of lack of planning due to absence of research and accurate data base.

Onuesoke wondered how there could be development in the country when there are no data base on working age, no accurate statistics on state populations, no projection on how to accommodate fresh graduates and no security data on how to prevent future crime occurrence among others.

Hear him, "Can you imagine government presenting annual budget without research,  accurate data and statistics  about tonnage of weight that will pass our roads annually? There are no research institutes for specially gifted children and graduates".

"There are no records on farmers, mechanics, carpenters and other professions. We just allocate transformers without knowing the consuming ratio of the environment. How do you install transforms without knowing the consumer ratio of the location?".

Stressing further on the importance of provision of data, Onuesoke pointed out that Senegal, an African country recently launched a new online database of human trafficking cases that will help the country  crack down on a rampant crime that is little understood, highlighting hotspots and profiling crooks in a bid to curb the growing trade in people.

He argued that, if ordinary Senegal could launch such a data base on the monitoring of its citizenry, then, Nigeria who is the  giant of Africa should be able to do better than that.

Onuesoke advised that, for there to be growth and development in Nigeria, the Government needs to come out with a faithful implementation of a development plan with commitment on the part of the leaders and absence of corruption, backed with effective data base and statistic.