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.The former Deputy/Acting Government Statistician said 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 said 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 institution behind the numbersThe 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 said 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.‘The figures have been cooked’Professor Nsowah-Nuamah said 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 said 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.The former statistics chief said no political officeholder interfered with statistical outputs during his tenure at the Service, and he believed that this had remained the case to date. He added that governments depend on accurate statistics to make sound policy decisions.To improve public understanding, he said the Statistical Service regularly engaged journalists, explaining how inflation and other key indicators are compiled and taking media practitioners into markets to observe how prices are collected.Why inflation falls but prices remain highProfessor Nsowah-Nuamah believes part of the public mistrust stems from misunderstanding inflation.He explained that a decline in inflation does not mean prices are falling; it means they are increasing more slowly.“When we say inflation has come down, it does not mean prices have come down. It simply means the speed at which prices are increasing has slowed,” he said.He compared inflation to a moving vehicle.“If a car slows from 120 kilometres an hour to 30 kilometres an hour, it is still moving at a lower speed. In the same way, prices continue to rise, but at a slower pace.”Breaking with a colonial legacyTracing the history of the office, Professor Nsowah-Nuamah said the title Government Statistician dates back to 1948 under British colonial administration and has remained unchanged despite reforms to Ghana’s statistical system.He noted that the United Kingdom, the originator of the title, now uses the title National Statistician, while several African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Namibia, Zambia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, have adopted the title Statistician General.He argued that Ghana should follow suit, noting that the country’s public service already has offices such as Inspector-General of Police, Controller-General of Immigration, Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Auditor-General, Accountant-General and Attorney-General.“So why shouldn’t we have a Statistician General? The institution is independent, and the title should make that clear,” he said.For Professor Nsowah-Nuamah, the proposal is about more than changing an official designation.He argues that confidence in official statistics is essential for evidence-based policymaking, economic planning and democratic accountability.“People should trust our institutions because they exist to serve the nation, not any political party. Changing the title will reinforce that message.”