…Say Statistics Will Be Introduced To Secondary School Curriculum
….As Minister Urges Body To Deepen Engagement With Digital Tech, Others
The Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria (CISON), the professional body for certified statisticians in the country, has advised the Federal Government to urgently conduct a fresh population census, noting that Nigeria cannot effectively plan for its people without reliable and current data on their number.
The President of the professional body, Dr. Godday Ebuh, gave the charge on Wednesday in Abuja at a press briefing to announce the Institute’s Third International Conference with the theme “From Legacy to Leadership: 50 Years of Promoting Statistical Development in Nigeria” and the 50th Anniversary Celebration.
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Ebuh, who recalled that Nigeria’s last census was conducted in 2006, leaving the country without a new official population count for two decades, pointed out that prolonged gap had serious implications for economic planning, resource allocation and public policy.
He quipped: “How do you reform? How do you plan for your people when you don’t have their number?
“You are estimating. We are calling on the government. Engineer a drastic reform that will make our census. Nothing we should struggle about. It should come seamlessly. That’s 2006. That’s 20 years ago we did our last census. This is 20 years after. 2006.” Ebuh added.
He charged the government to treat the conduct of a population census as a priority since accurate statistics were essential for effective development planning.
The CISON president also disclosed that the Institute had secured the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Education to introduce statistics at the secondary school level during the next curriculum review with the aim of exposing young Nigerians to statistics early and reducing the fear of numbers.
Ebuh said: “People are scared of numbers. But if they are introduced to statistics from the foundation, they will embrace it. They will even look forward to it.
“And the Minister agreed to us, agreed to our demand, that look, in the next curriculum review, statistics will be introduced at the secondary school level. So, we look forward to it. This is a key reform that we look forward to being implemented.”
Ebuh recalled that members of the professional body had for more than two decades demanded for statutory recognition before its enabling law was enacted in 2022 and the organisation became fully chartered in 2023.
While urging governments, agencies and private organisations to embrace professional statistics as data remains crucial to effective decision-making, the CISON President stressed: “Agencies or governments, those are not going to recognise statistics. You are doing yourself a disservice. You have to embrace statistics. We are privileged and fortunate to have an Act that has given us a weapon to institutionalise our practice.”
In his goodwill message, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, congratulated the Governing Council, management, members and entire professional body on the 50th Anniversary and 3rd International Conference, describing the Golden Jubilee as a significant milestone in the history of the Institute and a testament to five decades of commitment to advancing statistical knowledge, promoting professional excellence and strengthening the application of statistics to national development.
The Minister, who was represented at the forum by the ministry’s Director Economic Research and Policy Management, Abubakar Musa Othman, said that statistics remained indispensable to effective economic management and public policy formulation as reliable and timely dataprovide the foundation for sound fiscal planning, revenue mobilisation, public expenditure management, debt sustainability and the evaluation of government policies and programmes.
According to him, in an increasingly complex economic environment, the availability of accurate statistics is essential for identifying emerging challenges, assessing policy outcomes and ensuring that public resources deliver measurable benefits to Nigerians.
The minister clarified: “As the Federal Government continues to implement economic reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the importance of robust statistical systems and evidence-based policymaking cannot be overstated. Effective economic coordination requires dependable data to guide decisions, monitor progress, strengthen accountability and ensure that the gains from economic reforms translate into improved living standards, job creation, investment and inclusive growth.
“The Federal Ministry of Finance recognises that strong collaboration among government institutions, professional bodies, academia, the private sector and development partners is critical to achieving these objectives. In this regard, CISON has an important role to play in strengthening statistical capacity, promoting professional standards, encouraging innovation and fostering a culture of data driven decision-making across all sectors of the Nigerian economy”, he added.
The minister noted that as the CISON commemorate the Golden Jubilee anniversary, the Institute should deepen its engagement with emerging areas such as data science, digital technologies, statistical literacy and the innovative use of administrative and economic data. These are essential to building a modern statistical system capable of responding to the demands of a dynamic economy and supporting Nigeria’s long-term development aspirations.
Oyedele commended the professional body for recognising the importance of collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance and other public institutions and said he was looking forward to stronger institutional partnerships that will enhance the quality, accessibility and effective application of statistical information in public financial management and economic policy.
The CISON 2026 conference will also feature the induction of new members, admission of fellows and presentation of awards to deserving individuals and institutions.
