Experts in Nigeria’s data and development space have called for a unified, technology-driven national statistical system to enhance evidence-based decision-making and accelerate national development.
They made the call during a panel session marking World Statistics Day 2025, organised by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in Abuja on Monday.
Chief Economist at SPM, Dr. Paul Alaje, urged the creation of a national data-sharing platform that connects the public and private sectors, as well as federal, state, and local governments.
“We need a national platform that enables agencies to collect, share, and access data seamlessly,” Alaje said.
He stressed the need to empower and adequately fund the NBS, designating it as the lead coordinating body for all data-related activities in the country.
Alaje warned that multiple agencies collecting similar data without harmonisation undermines public confidence and weakens national coordination.
He added that an integrated data system could improve national security by enhancing crime tracking and identification across states.
“Data is key to improving not just governance but also national perception, and sometimes, it is even more important than reality,” he said, while urging government to reduce NBS’s dependence on development partners for funding.
Similarly, Dr. Godday Ebuh, President of the Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria (CISON), emphasised the need for a cohesive national data framework that links all producers and users of statistics.
“Data must be recognised to be in one system — not fragmented, but whole,” Ebuh said.
Dr. Bala Yunusa, Senior Technical Adviser at OSSAP-SDGs, underscored the importance of strengthening NBS’s institutional capacity to deliver quality and reliable statistics.
“We must strengthen the competence of the NBS so that it can fully deliver on its core mandate,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr. Moses Okpanache, Director of Statistics at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), advocated for stronger state statistical agencies, noting that they generate much of the nation’s data.
“Those institutions must be strengthened and enabled to complement the work of the NBS at the centre,” he said.
In his remarks, Prof. Abubakar Yahaya of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, highlighted inclusiveness and data literacy as critical to ensuring that marginalised groups participate meaningfully in the national data conversation.
“Without inclusiveness, marginalised communities will remain mere data points. We must make sure they are part of the process, not just the statistics,” Yahaya said.
The session concluded with a joint call for greater collaboration among data producers, users, and policymakers to strengthen Nigeria’s statistical ecosystem and drive sustainable national development.
