The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission has introduced an initiative that will provide data for socio-economic development of the region.
This is to address paucity of reliable data to plan local and regional development.
It will also produce a book on Yoruba ethos known as Omoluwabi, which will be distributed to primary and secondary school pupils across the region.
The Director General (DG), Mr. Seye Oyeleye, disclosed this in a chat with The Nation.
He said the frustration of planners, policy makers and investors over the absence or unreliable data was inimical to the development efforts of state and local governments as well as other stakeholders in the region, adding that it was time to deal with it.
Oyeleye said: “The Southwest Sustainable Open Data Management System is a planned intervention by the DAWN Commission to address the challenge of paucity of data in governance and administration. The goal of the Sustainable Open Data Management System is to facilitate the creation of a harmonised data management system that will enable the production, assemblage, warehousing, analysis and broadcasting of statistical information for the sustainable development of Southwest Region of Nigeria.”
He disclosed the commission’s plan to launch regional investments promotion network next month.
The network, Oyeleye said, would enable investment promotion agencies to share experience for improved inflow of investments in the region.
“The need to present Southwest as a strong economic bloc has brought about the importance of establishing strong investment promotion network that will create opportunities for investment promotion agencies to share experience, lessons and challenges, while deliberating on the modalities to eliminate bottlenecks for foreign and local investment in the economy. In 2022, the commission is working towards facilitating the maiden edition of the Southwest Investment Promotion Agencies Conference,” he said.
The book on Omoluwabi is also coming in the new year. It will be distributed to primary and secondary school pupils in the region to reawaken the ethos in young people living in the region.
The DAWN boss said: “The Omoluwabi book is a project the commission was instructed to undertake by the Chairman of the Western Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN). There is a rapid erosion of cultural values and norms and this is reflected in the moral decadence observed across the region and in Nigeria. The Omoluwabi book serves as a way of demonstrating the Omoluwabi ethos to youths with the belief that it will inspire them to imbibe the values of hard work, integrity, discipline and respect. It is a veritable way of promoting the idea of good behaviour as a catalyst for personal and national progress. The commission plans to distribute free copies of the book to primary and secondary schools, as it will be utilised by teachers as an instructional material for relevant subjects.”
The DAWN Commission is the development agency working for socio-economic development of Southwest Nigeria.
It facilitated the establishment of Southwest Governors’ Forum and operates its secretariat. It also came up with the regional security agency code-named Amotekun.
https://thenationonlineng.net/dawn-to-roll-out-open-data-system-for-southwest/