FG commits to modernising Nigeria’s statistical system

The Federal Government has committed to modernising Nigeria’s statistical system by ensuring its transformation is driven by technology and innovation.

This, it hopes to achieve by investing in the system’s data infrastructure, including hardware and software, in addition to significant investment in human resources, ensuring that staff are trained and equipped with the requisite skills and expertise to man a modern statistical system.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, stated this on Monday in his remarks at the launch of the “Power of Data High Impact Initiative in Nigeria, and the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics 2024-2025”, in Abuja.

Senator Bagudu said, “Through this Power of Data roadmap and the NSDS, we are committing to modernising Nigeria’s statistical system, ensuring its transformation is driven by technology and innovation. This means investing in the system’s data infrastructure, including hardware and software.

“We will also be investing significantly in human resources, ensuring that we train and equip staff with the requisite skills and expertise to man a modern statistical system. More importantly, we will invest in enhancing public-sector understanding and literacy in data and statistics to encourage their application”.

He noted that the launch of the Power of Data High Impact Initiative in Nigeria, and the latest policy document designed to drive the development of statistics, commonly called the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) 2024 – 2028 represent the Federal Government’s “vision and commitment to a future where every policy, every investment, and every decision is built on the unshakeable foundation of reliable, timely, and credible data”.

Senator Bagudu said the government is fully aware that it cannot achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda without adequate and reliable statistics. Hence, it is committed to building a dynamic statistical system capable of providing the necessary evidence to achieve the set objectives of the Agenda.

In his welcome remarks, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, the Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said the events represent a major milestone in the development of the nation’s statistical system as the NBS unveiled the vision for the statistical system, along with the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder, and the activities it plans to undertake to realise these goals.

Adeniran pointed out that the Power of Data is one of twelve United Nations High Impact Initiatives aimed at speeding up progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It was launched by the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2023.

The initiative aims to mobilise investment and political backing for national data systems by galvanising top-level leadership and fostering unified support from the UN Country Team, World Bank, other development partners, civil society, and the private sector.

“Nigeria, as a country, aligned with the initiative through the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs in 2024. Since then, collaborative efforts have been made to develop a comprehensive roadmap for operationalising the initiative in Nigeria, Adeniran said.

According to him, the roadmap document is closely aligned in principle and vision with the third National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS 2024–2025).

“The document identifies seven strategic pillars through which activities and programmes will be designed to achieve the objectives of the Power of Data. These strategic pillars include Leadership, Governance and Coordination, Partnerships, Data Infrastructure and Standards, Sustainable Financing and Resource Mobilisation Capacity Building for Data Production and Use Data Production, Access and Use Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL),” he stated.

On the other hand, Adeniran explained that the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics NSDS 2024–2028, also launched, is the third and most recent instalment of efforts as the Coordinator of the National Statistical System in the country to modernise the system and position it to unlock data dividends for sustainable development in Nigeria.

The NSDS is a globally recognised framework for promoting the development of statistics in countries.

Goodwill messages and contributions were delivered by many guests, both foreign and local, some of whom are United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, Prof. Uche Uwaleke, Princess Orelope Adefulire, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, UNICEF, UNDP and a special video message from UN-HQ on the Power of data, unlocking the data divide.

Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, gave a keynote address and launched the Reports.

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