The Board comprises an Executive Board Chairman, a secretary, and five other members, including the chair of the Advisory Council. The composition of the Board is designed to reflect the international nature of the Institute, provide global institutional representation and assemble experienced statisticians.
The following will be the core functions of the Board:
- Determines the structure and technical expertise required for efficient performance of the functions of the Service
- Oversees the performance of the management team
- Ensure compliance with both international legal requirements and national legal requirements of member countries.
Current Board Members
- Dr. Misha Belkindas
Executive Board Chairman - Dr. Grace Bediako
Member - Dr. Oliver Chinganya
Member - Mr. Danso Manu
Member
- Mr. Nyakassi M. B. Sanyang
Chairperson, Advisory Council
Executive Board Chairman - Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim
Executive Lead - Dr Vida Afarebea Agyen
Operational Lead and Board Secretary
The Board will meet quarterly and is responsible for establishing policies and overall governance. Members of the Board will serve for an initial term of three years renewable for two years.
Advisory Council
This is a five-member council of Director Generals from Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. The council provides the Board with information and advice on critical matters, such as challenges facing NSS and strategies for improvement. A Director General who acts as chair oversees the council, and the position is subject to rotation every two years. Meetings are held quarterly, with additional meetings scheduled as needed, which may be conducted virtually or in person. The main responsibilities of the council are:
- Providing valuable insights and strategic recommendations
- Reviewing and enhancing institutional strategies
- Identifying key opportunities and trends
- Facilitating stakeholder connections
Members of the Current Advisory Council are:
- Mr. Nyakassi M. B. Sanyang
Director General, Gambia Bureau of Statistics - Dr Alhassan Iddrisu
Government Statistician, Ghana Statistical Service, Ghana - Mr Richard Fatorma Ngafuan
Director General, Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services, Liberia
- Mr Yemi Adeniran
Chairperson, Advisory Council
Statistician-General, Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria - Mr Andrew Bob Johnny
Statistician-General, Statistics Sierra Leone
Executive Lead (EL)
The management team is led by an Executive Lead, who directs and oversees the strategic implementation of the workplan and its technical content training and research activities of AmariStat. The EL should hold a terminal degree in Economics or Statistics and have acquired a cumulative minimum experience of ten (10) years with at least five (5) years in directing a national or regional economic or statistical institution.
The position is appointed by the Board of Directors. The EL operates on a three-year renewable contract based on cumulative annual performance in achieving KPIs.
The current executive team is led by Professor Samuel Kobina Annim.
Technical Team
The technical team comprises professionals with specialised knowledge who provide expert technical support and consulting services, delivering expertise in areas such as data science and economic statistics on an as-needed basis. They provide specialised services temporarily and are coordinated by the Executive Lead. The Executive Lead appoints team members with the Board’s approval. Engagement is based on evidence of continuous professional development and a strong reputation and standing within the professional community.
The current Technical team include Magnus Ebo Duncan (PhD)
Operational Lead (OL)
The operational lead supports the Executive lead in the execution of technical and research programs and ensures the alignment of activities with the strategic objectives of the Institute. The role requires a terminal degree in Economics or Statistics and at least three (3) years of demonstrated experience in Economics and Statistics, with expertise in research, data analysis, or managing statistical programs. The Executive Lead appoints and determines the terms and conditions of this role, subject to approval from the Board. The OL supports the EL on a three-year renewable contract based on cumulative annual performance in achieving KPIs.
Dr Vida Afarebea Agyen is the current operational lead.
Finance Manager
The finance officer is responsible for overseeing all financial aspects of an AmariStat, including financial planning, budgeting, reporting, analysis, and strategic decision-making. The role requires a first degree in Accounting or Finance, and a qualification from a professional Accounting Body, such as ACCA, ICA, CIMA, or CPA.
Administration and HR Manager
This position provides comprehensive Human Resource and Administrative Support. The Admn & HR Manager is responsible for leading and managing all aspects of the human resources function, including recruitment, employee relations, performance management, training and development, compensation and benefits, and compliance with labour laws. The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management or Human Resources with at least 5 years in a related field.
Work Plan
- Develop a concept note covering areas of work on statistical methods and outputs for 2025/2026 operational and financial year
- Multidimensional Poverty Measures
- Food Insecurity Measures
- Application Weights in surveys
- Statistics on prices and inflation
- Engage potential funders on a costed annual work plan
- Undertake a benchmarking framework of the operations of the five NSOs
- Catalogue similarities and differences in websites
- Profile availability and functionality of data and statistics sharing platforms
- Document areas for learning and strategies for implementation
- Design a repository for harnessing data and statistics needs of the five NSOs
- Initiate monthly webinars on emerging areas, gaps and threats in data and statistics for staff of the five NSOs
- Assessment of AI readiness of NSOs
- Repositioning NSOs in the policy space
- Statistics, Financing and Development Nexus
- Official Statistics and Non-traditional Data Sources
- Application of variants of statistics on same phenomenon
- The emerging issues of climate change and green economy
- Operational and Technological Readiness of the 2030 round of censuses
- Build a pool of technical affiliates
- Roll-out interventions on the identified areas of work on statistical methods and outputs for 2025/2026 operational and financial year
- Document and submit a formal communication of the operations to AmariStat to the governments of the five NSOs and related regional bodies
- Participate in impactful national and international gatherings on data and statistics
Support Staff
AmariStat’s operations are further supported by staff who facilitate communication and logistics, ensuring the smooth execution of programmes.