The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), have strengthened cooperation for data-driven national development.
Spark News Naija reports that INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Tuesday played host to the Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, and his team at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
During the meeting, both agencies agreed to strengthen governance through strategic data partnership.
Describing the visit as historic, Prof. Yakubu noted that while INEC maintains the country’s largest database of adult citizens for electoral purposes, NBS coordinates Nigeria’s National Statistical System, which captures socio-economic data across all sectors.
He emphasized that the partnership would allow NBS to leverage INEC’s extensive network of locations across the federation to serve citizens beyond election periods.
Adding that such collaborations will strengthen both institutions and benefit the public, he stated, “We are always willing to partner with national agencies within the confines of the law while maintaining our independence”.
The INEC boss urged NBS to capture infrastructure gaps in its periodic reports on public facilities and in its engagements with bodies such as the National Economic Council (NEC).
Speaking earlier, Adeyemi Adeniran outlined the broad mandate of the NBS, stressing that beyond producing official statistics, the Bureau coordinates Nigeria’s vast statistical system, regarded as the largest in Africa.
“This includes state statistical agencies, planning and research departments in ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as tertiary institutions offering statistical studies”.
He said the NBS convenes the National Consultative Committee on Statistics twice annually to harmonise methodologies, prevent duplication of surveys, and ensure that national data remains consistent and credible.
According to him, the NBS data is widely used not only by government agencies for policy and planning but also by international development partners, private sector players, and civil society.
The NBS boss explains that the coordination and synchronization of data production were critical to avoiding contradictions and building trust in Nigeria’s statistics.
“We believe that if we can work with INEC to make this data usable and accessible, it will strengthen planning by governments, businesses, and development partners,” Adeniran said.
Prof. Yakubu affirmed INEC’s readiness to contribute data and logistics to support the NBS’s mandate, provided it aligns with legal frameworks and safeguards citizens’ data privacy.