LISA 2020: Developing Statistical Collaboration Capacity in Nigeria

• Activity Number: 323
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Consulting
• Author(s): Ian Crandell* and Eric A. Vance and Olawale Awe
• Companies: and LISA, Virginia Tech and Obafemi Awolowo University
• Keywords: Statistical Collaboration ; Nigeria ; LISA 2020 ; OAU ; statistical consulting ; capacity building

Abstract

LISA 2020 is a global initiative to create a network of 20 statistical collaboration laboratories at universities and institutions in developing countries by the year 2020. These laboratories will have two main goals. The first is to train statisticians in the non-technical skills essential to collaborate fruitfully with researchers from other fields. The second is to serve as research infrastructure for researchers in developing countries by providing statistical assistance to enable and accelerate research. The first such laboratory, Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis and Collaboration, was founded at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria in 2014 by O. Olawale Awe, a lecturer at the university. From January to July 2015, Ian Crandell visited Nigeria to build and grow the laboratory. This paper documents the logistical and structural challenges they met and overcame during their work to establish the laboratory for sustained success.