Allexer Namundjembo
The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) and Khomas regional leadership have emphasised the need for improved coordination, funding, and use of data within Namibia’s statistical system during a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) sensitisation meeting held in Windhoek on Monday.
NSA Statistician General and chief executive officer Alex Shimuafeni said the country’s growing demand for data requires a coordinated national statistical system involving multiple stakeholders.
“Namibia requires reliable, timely, and high-quality statistics to formulate sound policies, monitor development programmes, allocate resources efficiently, and assess progress toward development commitments,” Shimuafeni said.
He said statistics are generated across various institutions, not by a single body.
“Statistics are produced not by a single institution but by a collective of producers in the National Statistical System, including ministries, agencies, local authorities, regional councils, the private sector, academia, and civil society organisations,” he said.
Shimuafeni said the NSDS provides a framework for improving statistical production and coordination.
“The strategy provides a framework to improve statistical production, enhance data quality, promote innovative data sources and technologies, and strengthen coordination among data producers,” he said.
He added that implementation of the strategy depends on cooperation among stakeholders at all levels.
Khomas Region Governor Sam Nujoma said data has become central to planning and governance globally.
“We are living in a time where information has become the most sought-after commodity in the world,” Nujoma said.
He said development planning relies heavily on reliable and disaggregated statistics.
“Without reliable statistics, it becomes difficult to measure development progress, assess service delivery, identify inequalities, or design effective interventions,” he said.
Nujoma noted that Namibia’s development frameworks, including Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, require consistent data collection and analysis.
He also highlighted challenges within the national statistical system, including limited funding, fragmented systems, and coordination gaps.
“Many institutions within the National Statistical System continue to face challenges, including insufficient funding, inadequate statistical capacity, fragmented data systems, and limited coordination,” he said.
Both speakers noted that administrative data systems remain underutilised in many sectors, affecting planning and decision-making processes.
The NSDS outlines goals aimed at improving data use for policy-making, strengthening data systems, increasing funding for statistical activities, and integrating spatial data into national statistics.
The meeting brought together government officials, local authorities, development partners, private sector representatives, and civil society stakeholders to discuss implementation of the strategy.
The National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) represents a key step toward strengthening data-driven policymaking and improving coordination within the country’s statistical system.
The strategy is being implemented by the national statistics authority and covers a five-year period from the 2023/24 to 2026/27 financial years.
It is designed as a framework to modernise the statistical system and address gaps in official data across public institutions.
The strategy responds to long-standing challenges linked to fragmented data systems across government. In the past, ministries and agencies often maintained separate databases, which led to duplication of effort and inconsistencies in national figures.
The NSDS aims to address these issues by promoting harmonised data collection methods and standardised reporting across key sectors such as agriculture, health, education, and labour.
Implementation is supported by an estimated budget of N$58.9 million, funded through government allocations and development partner support.
International partners, including United Nations agencies and regional development institutions, have provided technical and financial assistance to strengthen statistical capacity and align systems with international best practice standards.
The NSDS focuses on improving the availability, quality, and use of data for planning, monitoring, and evaluation of development programmes.
It supports major policy frameworks such as national development plans, poverty reduction programmes, regional development strategies, and global commitments including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063.
As part of implementation, the statistical authority is conducting regional sensitisation engagements aimed at improving coordination with local authorities, strengthening data management practices, and promoting a culture of evidence-based decision-making across institutions.
