The President of the Institute of Statisticians and Data Scientists, Professor Nicholas N. N. Nsowah-Nuamah, has called for Ghana to abolish the title "Government Statistician", ar
The report indicates that the President of the Institute of Statisticians and Data Scientists, Professor Nicholas N. N. Nsowah-Nuamah, has called for Ghana to abolish the title “Government Statistician”, arguing that the colonial-era designation is undermining public confidence in the country’s official statistics.
It further notes that the former Deputy/Acting Government Statistician stated the title creates the impression that official figures on inflation, unemployment, population and economic growth are produced to serve the government of the day rather than the nation, fuelling scepticism whenever new economic data are released.
The eminent statistician wants the office renamed “Statistician General”, saying the change would better reflect the independence of the Ghana Statistical Service and strengthen public trust in its work.
“People think that because it is called the Government Statistician, the information produced is in line with what the government wants. That is why some people do not believe the data,” Professor Nsowah-Nuamah stated in an interview.
His comments come amid recurring public debate over the credibility of Ghana’s official statistics, particularly inflation figures, which often attract criticism from people who argue that the published data do not reflect the rising cost of living.
The Ghana Statistical Service is the country’s principal producer of official statistics and plays a central role in national planning. It conducts the Population and Housing Census, the Ghana Living Standards Survey, the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, labour force surveys, compiles the Consumer Price Index (CPI), measures inflation and produces national accounts, including Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Its statistics guide government policy, budget preparation and economic planning and are relied upon by ministries, the Bank of Ghana, Parliament, businesses, researchers, development partners and international organisations.
As head of the institution, the Government Statistician oversees the collection, analysis and publication of official statistics while ensuring they meet internationally recognised professional standards.
Professor Nsowah-Nuamah stated that despite these safeguards, the title of the office continues to reinforce the mistaken belief that the institution is politically controlled.
“The institution serves the Republic of Ghana, not the government of the day. The title should reflect that independence,” he said.
Professor Nsowah-Nuamah stated public scepticism has become more pronounced whenever official figures suggest improvements in the economy.
He recalled the reaction after inflation fell sharply from its 2022 peak, saying many people questioned whether the figures had been manipulated.
“Some friends told me the figures had been cooked because they believed such a reduction was impossible,” he said.
“Others stated there must be an invisible hand behind the numbers. Similar comments were made to me by some friends when the inflation rate fell to a single digit in 2025. What people often fail to realise is that the Ghana Statistical Service does not manipulate or fabricate figures. Government itself depends on accurate statistics because no country can plan effectively using false data,” he said.
