Abuja: The Federal Government, on Monday, unveiled strategic documents to strengthen evidence-based governance and inclusive development in Nigeria. The documents include the National Power of Data High Impact Initiative, National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS), 2024 to 2028, and Review of SDGs in Nigeria, 2024. Speaking at the unveiling, Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said that the initiatives underscored government’s resolve to ensure that decisions are guided by reliable, timely, and credible data. Akume was represented by Dr. Ibrahim Kana, Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the SGF.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Akume commended the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for producing comprehensive strategic documents capable of transforming governance. He described the Power of Data Roadmap and the NSDS 2024-2028 as instruments of national transformation aimed at ensuring efficient allocation of public resources, inclusive development, and visibility for all citizens. ‘The foundation upon which this vision of a modern state would be built is a strong national statistical system that produces statistical evidence in a timely, efficient, and sustainable manner,’ he said.
Akume highlighted the global data revolution driven by technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, satellite imagery, and digital platforms, emphasizing that countries prioritizing data as strategic national infrastructure tend to record faster socio-economic progress. He stated that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda was built on clarity, transparency, and measurable results. The SGF stressed that prosperity, security, and inclusive development could not be achieved without accurate and reliable data. He called on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as subnational governments, to mainstream the use of data in policy formulation, programme implementation, and performance tracking. Furthermore, he pledged to serve as a national ‘Power of Data Champion’ to advocate a culture where data is treated as a strategic asset across government and society.
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, noted that the documents were conceived by the NBS in collaboration with partners and would serve as the blueprint for developing Nigeria’s national statistical system over the next four to five years. Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Deborah Onoh, Bagudu emphasized that the Renewed Hope Agenda, with its eight priority areas, could not be realized without adequate and reliable statistics. He added that governmental support for NBS since 2023 had led to the completion of critical statistical exercises, including the rebasing of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Consumer Price Index. Bagudu mentioned that recent economic indicators, such as declining inflation and improved GDP growth, alongside positive outlooks from international credit rating agencies, demonstrated early gains from ongoing reforms. He underscored the necessity of sustained evidence-based decision-making to ensure that reforms translate into tangible b
enefits for citizens.
The Statistician-General (S-G) of the Federation, Adeyemi Adeniran, stated that the Power of Data was unveiled during the UN General Assembly in September 2023. He highlighted that the document was one of the 12 UN high-impact initiatives aimed at expediting progress towards the SDGs. Adeniran explained that it was designed to provide a coordinated political framework for private sector participation and support from development partners, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders in building Nigeria’s data architecture. The document emphasizes the need for investment in data infrastructure to enable the production of quality data capable of meeting the needs of all users.
Adeniran outlined that the Power of Data outlines seven strategic pillars working together to ensure not only the production of quality data but also its effective utilization in daily activities, private sector decision-making, and government policy formulation and programming. He urged all data suppliers to properly document information for easier access and encouraged data producers like sub-national offices, private agencies, and academia to share and make data accessible to users. ‘The suppliers of information, the producers of data, and the users of data are all encouraged to play their respective roles and responsibilities. Everyone must work together to make the system function effectively,’ he said.
On the NSDS 2024-2028, Adeniran described the newly unveiled document as the third phase of the strategy, building on two previous phases. He stated that the third NSDS incorporated modern approaches to data production, including infrastructure, frameworks, and best practices that meet international standards. ‘The framework for using artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and spatial analysis in data production and reporting is fully captured in the NSDS,’ he said. The S-G noted that the third NSDS expanded the national data ecosystem by mainstreaming academia and research institutions into the National Statistics System, emphasizing that collaboration with researchers was essential for producing high-quality data.
On SDGs tracking, Adeniran reported that over 200 indicators had been assessed out of the 263 global indicators, indicating that the exercise helped to measure the country’s performance and guide development efforts. He asserted that investment in data production directly translated to national development, citing studies showing that every one dollar invested in data yields up to 32 dollars in development returns.