The Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Bassey Eno has commended the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran for his giant stride to modernize not only the National but State Statistical System in the country.
Governor Eno gave the commendation in his Keynote Address at the Southern Stakeholders Engagement Workshop for the Drafting of the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) Phase III, held on Monday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Capital.
“I commend the National Bureau of Statistics, especially the Statistician-General of the Federation for his giant stride to modernise not only National but State Statistical System to enable the production of official statistics that all stakeholders will rely on for their respective programme and projects”, he said.
The Pastor who was a proud host of the workshop, noted that the selection of Akwa Ibom State to host the South-South zone of the workshop aligns with the state’s ongoing efforts to establish a modernised Akwa Ibom State Bureau of Statistics (AK-SBS).
“As a stakeholder in the statistical project, I am honoured to host this very important gathering, the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Production of the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS), Phase III, 2024-2028”, the governor said.
He said, globally, Statistics is considered a public good, therefore, encouraged the participants to contribute diligently to the new NSDS, in order to address gaps and challenges hindering the production of unified data that accurately reflects current emerging realities in our society.
Also speaking, the Statistician General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniransaid, said, over the past couple of months, NBS, in line with its role and position as the Coordinator of the Statistical System in Nigeria, has been working tirelessly on the process of developing a new NSDS in Nigeria.
Prince Adeyemi Adeniran said, the wealth of ideas and contributions garnered from Stakeholders thus far under this process, be it data producers, suppliers, and users across various sectors, had laid a solid foundation for the forthcoming drafting of phase III of the NSDS, which would span 2024 – 2028.
He said, “Statistics, often hailed as the ‘silent language of governance,’ form the bedrock of an informed and thriving society. They guide policy formulation, resource allocation, and progress evaluation.
“Statistics go beyond mere numbers; they articulate the narrative of the situation in the society, inform decisions, policies, and programmes, and pave the way for a brighter future. Therefore, it is imperative that we forge a robust strategy to guide the growth and development of this system that is responsible for producing the data that we all depend on, individually and collectively”, he added.
The Statistician-General noted that in crafting the new strategy, some guiding principles such as Inclusivity, Quality and Accuracy, Innovation and Technology, Capacity Building, Partnerships, and Collaboration must be held in high esteem.
“By embracing these principles, we will be contributing significantly and objectively to the development of the new NSDS, and its subsequent implementation. So, let this consultation process be the cornerstone of our shared vision for a modernised and transformed statistical system in Nigeria”, he added.
The NBS boss urged all the stakeholders to work together to build a stronger and more vibrant statistical system that is capable and well-resourced to produce and facilitate the use of data in the nation’s progress towards sustainable development.
Earlier in his Welcome Address, the State Director of Statistics, Ministry of Economic Development, Mr. Peter Akpan said, “in this era of data, official Statistics are indispensable for effective governance. Therefore, the imperative task of modernising the State and National Statistical System through the internationally recognised framework, the National Strategy for the NSDS, is before us”.
According to him, “the selection of Akwa Ibom State by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to host the Southern States Stakeholders’ workshop is a divine alignment with the ongoing efforts of His Excellency, our data-friendly Governor, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, to establish a modernised State Bureau of Statistics.
“I commend the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), particularly the Statistician-General of the Federation, for his untiring efforts in modernising the National and State Statistical System”, he said.
