The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has been awarded the, “Best Public Institution Award of the Year, 2016” in Nigeria by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
The award was presented to the Yemi Kale, Statistician General of the Federation on behalf of the NBS by Nike Akande, the President of LCCI, at a ceremony in Lagos.
The organisers say the award is an outcome of a painstaking selection process from numerous entries received for the award category and backed by feedbacks from industry and market intelligence.
Kale called it a reward for the tireless efforts of staff of NBS in ensuring that quality data were produced in NBS.
The Statistical Act, 2007, empowers the NBS as the coordinator of the National Statistical System and the main Agency responsible for the development and management of official statistics. In that role, it advises the Federal, State and Local governments on all matters relating to statistical development including standards and appropriate methodologies in the system.
Since 2011, NBS reputation has grown substantially as a producer of reliable, quality and timely statistics both nationally and internationally.
Following restructuring in the country’s data system since 2011, the number of statistical reports produced and disseminated by NBS, a one -time poorly rated agency has significantly increased the amount of statistical output to over 200 statistical reports annually.
BusinessDay checks indicate over 12 million downloads of reports annually as against just 100,000 in 2011. “The growing demand for good reliable statistics by our government, the general public and the private sector is enormous,” Kale admits in a note on the NBS website.
The NBS has unveiled an Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which would help Nigeria attract the much needed Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) into the country is another feat of the NBS.
“The authorities are encouraged by the progress that Nigeria has made to achieve this important milestone in its quest for better statistics.
“This makes Nigeria the largest economy in the first wave of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to implement the recommendations of the e-GDDS,” the IMF had commented in a statement announcing the unveiling.
The huge improvement in the National Bureau of Statistics in the last five years has also been widely recognized domestically and internationally.
The NBS has seen the highest ever rating for statistical achievement in Nigeria’s history as also measured by the World Bank.
Nigeria’s data has been enhanced through the introduction of Computer Assisted Personal Interviewers (CAPI) for field data collection, gradually departing from the use of paper questionnaire.
The NBS also carried out a series of methodology reviews to boost data quality, including the rebasing of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the revision of the methodology for computing labour force and unemployment estimates, amongst others.
In the area of data dissemination, the NBS has successfully improved data dissemination by revamping the website while introducing several features like the data portal and the data release calendar tool, both of which are the first for any African Statistical Office.
NBS data now has timelines on when they are expected as lots of the data which the data office produces are eagerly anticipated, used, debated and appreciated unlike in the past.
The Statistician General who was delighted about the award thanked the management of LCCI for carrying out a transparent process which led to the selection of NBS for this award as well as Nigerians who massively voted for NBS during the selection process of the award.
“Despite challenges, NBS continues to get better and better over time. We will continue to do all we can to ensure the delivery of good reliable and timely data,” he assured.
Cynthia Egboboh, Abuja
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