The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has donated ICT equipment worth over K60 million to the National Statistical Office (NSO).
The equipment includes high-performance laptops and mobile phones for data collection and analysis.
UNFPA Deputy Country representative, Ezizgeldi Hellenov, says accurate statistics are a key enabler for achieving the country’s development targets, hence the gesture.
Hellenov notes that data is central for policy planning, and implementation as well as achieving the country’s development aspirations hence the need to equip NSO.
The move comes at a critical moment when NSO is to embark on a Demographic and Health Survey next month.
“There is a pressing need to fortify the capacity of NSO for effective coordination of the National Statistical System and ensure reliable funding for data generation, analysis and dissemination,” Hellenov added
Director of Demography and Social Statistics at NSO, Tiope Mleme, has since praised UNFPA for what he called timely donation.