At the World Statistics Day event in Abuja, data and development experts emphasized the urgent need for Nigeria to adopt an integrated, inclusive, and technology-powered statistical system. They highlighted that better data sharing between public and private sectors, as well as all government levels, is key to improving decision-making and accelerating national progress.
Dr Paul Alaje, Chief Economist, stressed establishing a national data platform to seamlessly link agencies, while stressing the importance of empowering the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) with adequate funding and sole coordination authority. Such an integrated system can even bolster national security through improved crime tracking.
Other experts, including Dr Godday Ebuh (CISON), Dr Bala Yunusa (OSSAP-SDGs), and Dr Moses Okpanache (CBN), stressed capacity building for NBS and empowering state agencies closest to data sources. Prof Abubakar Yahaya from Ahmadu Bello University called for inclusivity and data literacy to ensure marginalised communities are reflected and heard.
Celebrating the theme “Driving Change with Quality Statistics and Data for Everyone,” the session ended with a unified call for collaboration among data producers, users, and policymakers to reinforce Nigeria’s statistical ecosystem.
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