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Senator Abubakar Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, has emphasized the need for a comprehensive and inclusive national statistical system in Nigeria. He made this call during the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Production of the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) Phase III for 2024-2028, held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Senator Bagudu, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Neboolisa Anako, expressed the importance of the new NSDS in addressing existing gaps and challenges within the country’s statistical system. He stressed the significance of creating a unified, integrated, and comprehensive data production system that accurately reflects Nigeria’s current realities.
The minister underlined the critical role of statistics in assessing the implementation of the federal government’s eight-point agenda led by President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He believes that strengthening the statistical system is vital to evaluating the current administration’s progress.
Collaboration among stakeholders was also highlighted as crucial for the successful implementation of the 2024-2028 NSDS. Senator Bagudu expressed his gratitude to all participants and development partners, looking forward to witnessing the transformative impact of the NSDS Phase III on Nigeria’s statistical system.
Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, the Statistician General of the Federation, emphasized the guiding role of the 2024-202
8 NSDS in modernizing and transforming Nigeria’s statistical system. He stressed the importance of several key principles during the development of the new strategy.
Firstly, inclusivity was a core principle, ensuring that the NSDS caters to the needs of all segments of society, leaving no one behind. This includes addressing data gaps related to marginalized groups, regions, and sectors, with a focus on gender, persons with disabilities, and local government levels.
Quality and accuracy were another essential principle. Adeniran emphasized the significance of maintaining trust through excellence in data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
Innovation and technology were also integrated into the new strategy, embracing the latest technological advancements to streamline data-related processes.
Furthermore, Adeniran called for sustained investment in human capital resources and partnerships with international organizations, academia, and the private sector. He stressed the need for continuous training, re-training, and collaborative efforts to improve the statistical system.
Utz Pape, the Lead Economist and Lead Poverty Team at the World Bank, reiterated the bank’s commitment to funding statistics and encouraged stakeholders to use the data effectively. He highlighted the importance of an integrated national statistical system that goes beyond the federal level and extends to the states.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs, urged the statistician general to adapt to current realities and create a resilient and responsive statistical system. He emphasized the role of all stakeholders in bringing about positive changes.
Representative Ibrahim Isiaka, House Committee Chairman on National Planning and Economic Development, stressed the need to include informal sectors in the new strategy. He assured the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that the National Assembly would amend laws to grant the bureau autonomy.
Goodwill messages from other stakeholders, including Senator Sani Shehu, were also conveyed during the workshop.
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