KIGALI, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The 5th International Conference on Big Data for Official Statistics opened officially on Thursday in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

Big data holds significant potential to addressing the challenges to more detailed and timely data and statistics for decision-making, Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente said while opening the conference.

The ever-increasing use of information and communications technology (ICT) and the big data it creates can enrich the supply of official statistics, Ngirente said.

The conference, which started unofficially on April 29, will run through May 3.

It was organized by the United Nations Global Working Group (GWG) on Big Data for Official Statistics together with the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda.

The event attracted about 500 participants from around the world, including policymakers, statisticians, data scientists and representatives of non-governmental organizations, organizers said.