Chapter 19

National Statistical System Reform

Background

By 2003, the Federal Office of Statistics (FOS), the apex data producing agency in Nigeria since 1947, was either not producing relevant statistics needed for planning and evidence-based policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, or producing remotely relevant data untimely and without integrity. Poor attention from government, bad management, bloated and low quality workforce, preponderance of non-professional staff (particularly administrative and accounting personnel), archaic data production and management technologies, and low morale and productivity of workers were identified to be responsible.

Past Reform and Achievements

As first steps in reforming the production of national statistics, the federal government merged the Federal Office of Statistics and National Data Bank to form the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS); with a five-year National Statistical Master Plan (2004), a Statistical Act (2007) and a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (2010).

The 1957 Statistics Act was repealed. A National Data Centre, with capacity for world-wide dissemination, archiving, and connectivity of statistical system, was established in Abuja alongside six Zonal Data Processing Centres; and in 18 states of the country, State Bureau of Statistics were established. The ratio of staff with technical skills to support staff were increased to make the reform successful. The NBS began to produce compendiums of national statistics as well as data sets periodically. The office also began publishing methodology used in compiling data. There has been a significant increase in the use of statistical data for evidence based policy, planning and decision making as a result.

Challenges and Next Steps

Poor government funding should be addressed to improve the integrity of national statistics. Collaboration efforts between agencies should be encouraged to increase the quantity of data collected as well as improve their quality. The slow pace of statistical development at the state and local governments should be quickened with technical support by the NBS to the statistical agencies of these sub-national governments. The low statistical awareness in the country should be addressed with jingles on radios and televisions about the importance of accurate statistics to economic development. Politicisation of data should be made impossible through the improvement of statistical methodologies.

WANGONeT