ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Ministry of Economic Planning, in partnership with Universal Investment and Development Company Limited (UIDC), has commenced a three-day intensive workshop on Data Analysis and Visualization for selected civil servants in the state, aimed at improving planning, decision-making, and service delivery through digital transformation.
The training, which began on Thursday at the Prof. Chike Edozien Secretariat in Asaba, is designed to equip participants with modern analytical tools and visualization techniques that enhance evidence-based governance.
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sonny Ekedayen, the Director of Statistics in the Ministry, Ms. Nkechi Maduemezia, described data as “the new oil” driving strategic development and informed decisions in the modern world.
“Data is information. Data is life. Data is the future,” Maduemezia stated. “Analysis is talking to the data, and visualization allows you to see and interact with it without being physically present. With the right data tools, decisions can be made faster and more accurately, even by non-technical users.”
Maduemezia, who is a member of both the Computer Professionals of Nigeria and the Nigerian Statistical Association, urged participants to be attentive and engage fully in the sessions, emphasizing that mastering data technology would make civil servants more proactive and efficient in supporting policy formulation.
In his remarks, the Head of Corporate Strategy and Planning, Dr. Timothy Igbinosa, represented by the Chief Executive Officer of UIDC, Mr. Godwin Mukoro, said the workshop became necessary to close the gap between traditional administrative practices and emerging global standards in data analytics.
“We live in a digital age. Phones, vehicles, the internet — everything is driven by technology,” Mukoro said. “We must intentionally run fast to catch up with global civilization. The gap we discovered between current practices and modern data analysis methods inspired this workshop. We must not be left behind.”
He classified civil servants into three groups: those with limited digital capacity, those familiar with tools but not using them, and the very few who effectively apply them. Mukoro challenged participants to “think outside the box, change templates, and drive innovation” in public service delivery.
Also speaking, Mr. Gbe Lewis, a capital market consultant, reaffirmed UIDC’s commitment to supporting the Delta State Government through continuous training and human capital development.
“UIDC is a finance and management development company owned by the Delta State Government and supervised by the Ministry of Finance. We are proud to support this workshop because data analysis and visualization are essential for growth and efficiency,” Lewis stated.
He commended the Ministry of Economic Planning for its strategic leadership in promoting data-driven governance and expressed optimism that the training would strengthen the analytical and decision-making capabilities of civil servants across the state.
The workshop, which runs for three days, will feature hands-on sessions on data handling, analysis, and visualization tools, aimed at empowering participants to support policy formulation and planning through credible, evidence-based data management.
