National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Chibuzor Alli
The World Bank has raised alarms regarding Nigeria’s inadequate performance in statistical reporting, emphasizing that the nation falls short compared to its aspiring counterparts like Mexico, Colombia, South Africa, and Brazil.
This concern was raised during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, by a World Bank delegation headed by Country Director, Ndiame Diop, alongside Practice Manager for West and Central Africa, Mr. Johan Mistiaen, on Wednesday.
In a presentation titled “Next Level Statistics to Support Nigeria’s Reform and Growth Agenda,” Mistiaen emphasized that Nigeria’s statistical framework is not commensurate with those of its developmental peers.
He advocated for an annual investment ranging from $10 million to $15 million in the nation’s statistical infrastructure, which he believes would considerably improve Nigeria’s performance, aligning it with its counterparts.
The statement reads, “Earlier, Mr. Johan Mistiaen in his presentation on the next level statistics to support Nigeria’s reform and growth agenda, observed that the country’s statistical performance was not at par with its aspirational peers as Mexico, Colombia, South Africa and Brazil. He suggested that investing about $10-15m annually into the country’s statistical system can raise performance to that of its aspirational peers.”
In response, Minister Bagudu assured that the Federal Government would uphold the autonomy of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). He praised the Bureau for its consistent production of reliable and methodically sound data, which has garnered the confidence of esteemed international entities.
The minister emphasized the commitment to prevent any governmental interference in the NBS’s operations.
He extended his gratitude to the World Bank for its ongoing financial and technical assistance to the NBS, calling it pivotal for the agency’s institutional enhancement.
Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, the Statistician-General of the Federation and CEO of the NBS, remarked that enhanced investment in statistics would fortify Nigeria’s growth and development trajectory.
He acknowledged the Federal Government’s decision to increase the agency’s budget to its highest level in the past decade.
Meanwhile, he added that continuous funding and stronger collaborations with international development partners could pave the way for even more significant achievements by the NBS.
