Nigeria Needs Accurate Data To Achieve $1trn Economy,Says Speaker Abbas

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen on Monday said for Nigeria to achieve its goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy, every policy decision, budget allocation, and infrastructural investment must be guided by data that is accurate, timely, and beyond reproach.

Abbas stated this at the pubic hearing on the Statistics Bill, 2025, organised by the House Committee on National Planning and Economic Development in Abuja on Monday.

He noted that no nation can achieve meaningful development without reliable, timely, and credible statistical data, as statistics constitute the absolute foundation upon which governments formulate policies, allocate resources, measure progress, monitor implementation, and evaluate outcomes.

The speaker said the Statistics Bill, 2025 seeks to modernise the country’s statistical architecture by enhancing the efficiency, relevance, responsiveness and effectiveness of official statistics in Nigeria.

“It aims to strengthen coordination among statistical agencies; create a unified, consistent, and actionable view of data across disparate systems; and produce high-frequency, highly granular official statistics while drastically reducing public costs and survey fatigue.

“Furthermore, it will improve data quality assurance mechanisms, promote digital data collection and dissemination systems, and establish sustainable funding arrangements for the Bureau.

“This legislative initiative reflects global best practices and aligns with the emerging realities of the digital age, where data has become one of the most valuable assets for national development,” he added.

Statistician general of the federation & chief executive officer of NBS, Adeyemi Adeniran said the passage of the bill will further strengthen the national statistical system and enhance its capacity to provide the timely, reliable and credible data required for effective governance and national development.

“As the coordinator of the National Statistical System, the National Bureau of Statistics remains committed to working with all stakeholders to support the effective implementation of the provisions of the bill,” Adeniran said.

He recalled that the Statistics Act, No. 9 of 2007 served the country well but significant changes have occurred in the data ecosystem since its enactment.

“The increasing use of digital technologies, administrative data systems, geospatial information, Big Data, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and other emerging data sources requires a modern legal framework capable of supporting the evolving needs of the National Statistical System.

“The Statistics Bill, 2025 presents an opportunity to strengthen the National Statistical System by providing a more robust legal framework for the production, coordination and use of official statistics,” Statistician-General added.

In his remarks, the chairman of the House committee on National Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Gboyega Isiaka, said every successful nation is built on a foundation of reliable information, and governments can only plan effectively when they understand the realities confronting their citizens.

He said while NBS has done a lot within the limit imposed by the existing law, which has been in use since 2007, the House found the need for a review that takes into account the requirements of the 21st Century, characterised by big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, among others.