Smarting from the successes recorded so far in its ongoing National Business Sample Census (NBSC) and several other development-supportive surveys in the past year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday hinted of its plans to undertake the National Agricultural Sample Census next year.
The Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the agency, Dr Yemi Kale, who made this disclosure in his keynote address at the meeting of the National Consultative Committee on Statistics (NCCS) in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, said the Bureau would continue to intensify its efforts to ensure that national development is based on statistics-driven policies and frameworks.
Kale, who expressed optimism that the conclusion of the ongoing NBSC would radically transform Nigerian governments’ business-oriented policies and ensure proper planning for the real sector, described statistical data as the most critical component of development globally.
The Statistician General said that despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau was able to further sustain its mandate with 120 different statistical reports with over 1,000 indicators produced in the outgoing year.
This is even as he reported that in the current year, the agency also recorded over 800,000 visits to its website as well as over 170,000 downloads for the published reports.
Dr Kale pointed out that all these developments represented a proof that there is an increasing endogenous and exogenous demand and appetite for data and that the NBS was able to cope with these demands despite the menace of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He expatiated: “Equally noteworthy here is the National Business Sample Survey, a major undertaking that is long overdue (after 30 years) which seeks to provide necessary data to guide policy makers not only in setting sectoral policy, but will also inform the new Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP), to succeed Vision 20:2020 and the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP)
“We also have plans to undertake the National Agriculture Sample Census early in 2021. All these point to our desire to rise to the occasion, to meet the needs of the moment, and support the policy-making process through accurate, timely and relevant data”, Kale added.
