UN Reaffirms Support for Zim’s Data-Driven Develop...

UN Reaffirms Support for Zim’s Data-Driven Development

*UN Population Fund, representative Miranda Tabifo*

Rutendo Mazhindu- Zim Now Reporter

The United Nations has reiterated its commitment to strengthening Zimbabwe’s national data systems to support sustainable development and economic growth.

Speaking during the 2025 review meeting on the Data for Development and Innovation agenda, UN Population Fund representative Miranda Tabifo said the UN is working closely with the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency to ensure the country has access to accurate and relevant data for planning and policy formulation.

“We are partnering with Zimstat to ensure that Zimbabwe has the relevant, accurate data it needs for development,” said Tabifo. “Zimstat is the national statistics agency, mandated by the government to ensure that data is available for development.”

Tabifo emphasized that reliable data is essential for achieving national goals, including the country's Vision 2030 of becoming an upper middle-income economy.

“Zimbabwe needs data for everything — population, roads, health, education. You cannot plan for citizens without data,” she said.

As co-chair of the technical working group on data alongside Zimstat, Tabifo noted that the UN’s collaboration aligns with Zimbabwe’s development priorities outlined in the National Development Strategy. She also confirmed the UN is supporting preparations for NDS-2 following a recent evaluation of the current strategy.

“The overall goal is that data remains a cornerstone for development,” she said.

Despite positive strides, Tabifo acknowledged funding constraints as a major obstacle to advancing the data agenda.

“The first challenge is funding. The plan that we have needs to be supported with money. Without sufficient resources, we cannot deliver most of it,” she said.

She called for broader partnerships that go beyond financial contributions, highlighting the importance of technical expertise and collaboration.

“Someone can come with money; others can bring technical expertise. For example, UNFPA is the technical lead agency for population data, and we supported Zimstat with the 2022 Population and Housing Census, which showed Zimbabwe had slightly over 15 million people,” she explained.

Tabifo encouraged the media to advocate for greater investment in data systems by amplifying the importance of data-driven decision-making.

“Media doesn’t have to bring money. You amplify messages. You say, ‘This data is needed for development, but we don’t have it,’” she said. “That voice helps advocate for more resources.”

She also highlighted the need for improved data sharing across ministries and with the private sector, noting that access to existing data remains a challenge due to the lack of clear protocols.

“There are many ministries and private sector players collecting data, but accessing it is a challenge. We need a data-sharing policy,” she said.

Concerns over data security, particularly for sensitive information like health and migration statistics, also hinder openness. Tabifo welcomed proposed amendments to the current data policy, which will outline standards for the production, sharing, preservation, and dissemination of data.

“Without data, you cannot produce any policy. We need data for evidence-based decision-making,” she said. “This amendment will address key challenges and help build trust in how data is handled.”