UBOS to use launched Africa Statistics Week to create statistical awareness ahead of census

As Africa gears up to mark Africa Statistics Day, celebrated every 18th of November, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has designated a full week dubbed the Africa Statistics Week. The Africa Statistics Week will be used to engage and interact with different stakeholders to increase statistical awareness ahead of the census exercise next year.

The Bureau kicked off the week-long activities with a media breakfast meeting and training on Monday where the Executive Director, Chris Mukiza, pointed out the significance of interacting with stakeholders. Mukiza, explained that interacting with stakeholders helps the Bureau to improve the volume, quality and speed at which their work is done.

He added that the celebration of Africa Statistics Day provides a platform to underscore the significant contributions of official statistics in the entire planning and development processes. “Today, we host the media practitioners as the first event to kick-start the Africa Statistics Week 2023 as we gear towards celebration of the Africa Statistics Day,’ Mukiza said at the engagement with journalists.

He noted that the week offers an opportunity for the Bureau to raise statistical awareness for purposes of increasing the use of data and strengthening statistical production and profession in the country. “As UBOS, we shall celebrate a whole week of events aimed at keeping steadfast in statistical production and development,” he said, elaborating.

Mukiza further stressed that the week offers stakeholders the opportunity to appreciate the value of quality data and challenge the processes of data production bearing in mind the continuous changing technological trends in statistical production.

He noted that the media is part of the national statistical system and the biggest users of data and statistics, making them the most important component in the system.

During the statistics week, the Bureau will launch highlights of the National Population and Housing Census set to take place on 30th November 2023 at Kololo Ceremonial grounds where President Yoweri Museveni will be the Chief Guest.

He said after the end of the month, as the Bureau, they will unveil other activities that they are ongoing, leading to the census night of 9th and 10th May 2024.

Officiating at the media breakfast meeting and training, Marcella Karekye, the Special Presidential Assistant on Communication and Director Government Citizen Interaction Centre, stated how it is significant to make statistics more appealing for the general public.

Karekye added that the breakfast meeting and training has been one of the ways of improving statistical literacy among the different representatives of the media and the general public.

“Let’s agree that not all of us can be statisticians, because statistics is a science. Hence, we need to give Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) its flowers because there’s a lot of work that goes into this, but because you’re the owners of this material, it’s great that you have help us access it,”

According to Karekye, If the media are to do an effective job in communicating statistics to the general audience, it is imperative that the Bureau provides them with information that is significant, understandable and relevant.

She stated that there should be a shared mind between producers and users, since Statistical literacy is a requisite for both the media and the general public.

This year’s statistical week will be held under the theme, “accurate and timely reporting of statistics to enhance public knowledge, data visualization for increased uptake of statistics”