National Open Data Portal launched

LAHORE : The National Centre in Big Data and Cloud Computing (NCBC) at LUMS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives (MoPD&SI), hosted the Pakistan Open Data Conference 2025 in Islamabad recently.

According to a press release, the event marked a pivotal moment in the country’s digital transformation journey with the official launch of the National Open Data Portal (NODP). This first-of-its-kind portal, developed by NCBC at LUMS, will serve as Pakistan’s central platform for public access to government datasets across vital sectors such as health, education, economy, environment, infrastructure, and demographics.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary inaugurated the portal and commended the achievement of the NCBC and the LUMS team in making this national platform a reality. He stated that “Pakistan’s development narrative will now be written in code and understood through data”, adding that leveraging digital tools is no longer optional but an urgent national priority.

Ahsan, in his concluding remarks, shared a message: “In a rapidly digitizing world, it is no longer enough to make declarations – we must deliver results. Let us unite – government, academia, industry, and our youth – to build a data-smart, cloud-enabled, globally competitive Pakistan. The launch of the National Open Data Portal is not the conclusion – it is the beginning of a new era”.

Dr Naveed Arshad, Director of NCBC at LUMS, said that the launch of the Open Data Portal is a critical investment in transparency, knowledge-sharing, and innovation for Pakistan’s digital future. The conference brought together senior stakeholders from government, academia, development partners, and the tech industry for strategic discussions on the role of open data in advancing inclusive development. The Pakistan Open Data Conference 2025 represents a significant advancement in Pakistan’s digital governance landscape and reaffirms LUMS’ national role as a convener of thought leadership and a catalyst for innovation.