GSS Boss Urges Businesses to Harness Data for Growth and Competitiveness

The Government Statistician, Dr. Alhassan Idrisu, has urged Ghana’s business community to make greater use of data produced by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to enhance decision-making, competitiveness, and national development.

Speaking at the Africa Business Conversation Series organised by AB & David Africa under the theme “Business in Ghana – Is It a Game of Numbers?”, Dr. Idrisu said data and statistics are not just tools for international institutions but critical resources for business growth.

“This timely conversation underscored a critical reality: data and statistics produced by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) are not just for international institutions; they are essential ingredients for business growth and for national development. Every major business decision, from pricing to market expansion, must be grounded in solid data,” he said.

Dr. Idrisu emphasised that every statistic generated by the GSS has direct relevance to the private sector. “My key message to Ghana’s business community is this; Every single statistic that GSS produces is relevant to the business community. GSS produces comprehensive data from routine statistics including Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to administrative data, to citizens’ data, and to census/sector surveys that can drive competitive advantage. Yet, these valuable resources remain underutilised,” he said.

He noted that the success of future businesses in Ghana will depend less on capital and market share, and more on how effectively they use data to drive innovation and strategy. “The future of business in Ghana is not just about who has capital or market share, but about who understands the numbers and how the numbers are used to improve competitiveness and to shape your contribution to Ghana and the world,” he added.

Dr. Idrisu outlined three key priorities to deepen collaboration between the GSS and the business community, making data more accessible and user-friendly, identifying and addressing business-specific data needs, and building strong partnerships for co-creation and data sharing.

“When businesses and GSS collaborate effectively, business decisions are evidence-based and Ghana wins,” he said, stressing that statistics must be transformed into strategic business intelligence that benefits both companies and the economy.

“The data GSS produces is for Ghana, and it’s time we work together to transform statistics into strategic business intelligence,” he noted.

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