COMMUNIQUE FROM THE NATIONAL CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON STATISTICS (NCCS) HELD AT KINI COUNTRY GUEST INN, AKWANGA, NASARAWA STATE, 14 – 15 DECEMBER, 2020

Preamble:

The National Consultative Committee on Statistics (NCCS) meeting, coordinated by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) held for two days at Kini Country Guest Inn, Akwanga, Nasarawa State on the 14th and 15th December, 2020. It had in attendance 128 Participants drawn from Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government at the Federal level, State Bureaus of Statistics (SBS)/State Statistical Agencies (SSAs), Organized Private Sector, the Academia, Development Partners and the Media.

2.​The NCCS mandate, in accordance with the Statistics Act 2007, among other things is to coordinate, harmonize and standardize the processes of producing official statistics in the country. NCCS meeting provides a forum where producers and users of official statistics deliberate on issues relating to the development of the National Statistical System (NSS).

3.​The Chairman of NBS governing board Dr. Kabiru Nakaura welcomed the participants to the meeting this was followed by keynote address by the s tatistician-general of the Federation, Dr Yemi Kale, who also declared the meeting opened.

4. The Vote of thanks was delivered by the Deputy Director and Head, Technical Coordination (TC) Division, Corporate Planning and Technical Coordination Department (CPTC), National Bureau of Statistics, Mr. Godwin Ameh.

5. The following presentations among others were made during the meeting:

i. Report on Recent and Current Statistical Surveys and Programmes by the Director, Real Sector and Household Statistics Department, National Bureau of Statistics, Abuja. Mr. Semiu Adeniran
ii. Update on SDGs Data Bond and Supply Responsibility Framework/Current Status, presented by the Director, Corporate Planning & Technical Coordination Department, NBS, Abuja, Dr. Simon Harry, on behalf of Mrs. Anne Ibrahim, Desk Officer, SDG, NBS.
iii. Update on National Business Sample Census/National Agricultural Sample Census (NASC) delivered by the Deputy Director and Head, Agric and Business Establishment Division (ABED), Real Sector & Household Statistics Department, NBS, Mr. David Babalola.
iiii. Update on Revised Statistical Year Book Template in line with SDGs Requirements, presented by Mr. Samuel Adakole, Chief Statistician, Corporate Planning & Technical Coordination (CP&TC) Department, NBS, Abuja.
v. Statistical Report from SSAs and MDAs
vi. Presentation on Data Beaver by Softcom.

6.​​At the end of all presentations and deliberations on other critical issues, the following Observations and Recommendations emerged:

a) Observations: The meeting observed that;
i) the issue of inadequate funding of Statistical activities in MDAs and State Bureaus of Statistics/State Statistical Agencies has remain unabated;
ii) most of the of the Planning, Research and Statistics Departments (in both National and Sub-national levels are not headed by professionals;
iii) the training programme as canvassed in the collaboration between NBS and the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) is not properly utilized for the capacity building of Statistics staff of PRS Departments in MDAs and SBSs/SSAs;
iiii) administrative data collection, harmonization and management at the State level is still a challenge due to weak collaboration between some MDAs and Federal Agencies existing within the States;
v) states are yet to mainstream Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators into the State Statistical Year book;
vi) Statistical Year Book templates are obsolete and due for review and update
vii) there exist Inequity collaboration between NBS and SBSs/SSAs in Statistical surveys especially in the area of field personnel;
viii) there is Inadequate ICT and Statistical Infrastructure at sub-national Level and some Federal MDAs;
ix) there is Lack of Political Will in implementing statistical activities in some states
x) Poor/Shortage of Manpower is still a great challenge in implementation of statistical activities

b) Recommendations:
i. Government at both national and sub-national level should adequately fund statistical activities due to the importance of statistics to development, planning and decision making
ii. Planning, Research and Statistics Departments (in both National and Sub-national levels should be headed by Professional Statistician
iii. PRS Departments in MDAs and SBSs/SSAs should leverage on the capacity building training programme from the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) as canvassed by NBS in the NCCS meeting, 2020
iiii. NBS and SBSs/SSAs as coordinator of National and State Statistical System respectively should strengthen the collaboration between MDAs for effective data collection, harmonization and management of administrative statistics.
v. State should mainstream Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators into the State Statistical Year book (SSYB)
vi. NBS should coordinate the review of the Statistical Year Book templates
vii. Similarly, all other producers and suppliers of Statistics should mainstream SDGs in their sectoral data production
viii. There should be equity involvement of SBSs/SSAs in Statistical surveys especially in the area of field personnel
ix. The Federal and State Government should as matter of priority provide ICT and Statistical Infrastructure to MDAs and SBSs/SSAs as an obligation.
x. NBS through Nigerian Governors’ Forum should ensure that states that are yet to establish State Bureau of Statistics should do so

5.​Appreciation

The NCCS wishes to appreciate the National Bureau of Statistics, Federal MDAs, SBSs/SSAs, the Academia, Development Partners, the Media and the Management of Kini Country Guest Inn, Akwanga, Nasarawa State for a successful hosting of the 2020 meeting.

Members of the Communiqué Drafting Committee

i. Dr. Josephat Ogar – SG, State Bureau of Statistics, Cross Rivers State – Chairman

ii. DCC Steve O Ayodele – Federal Road Safety Corps, Abuja – Member

iii. Mohammed Gidado – SG Gombe State Bureau of Statistics – Member iv. Victoria Ikye-Dodo – ​Chief Statistician, Benue State Planning Com. – Member

v. Oluyemi Oloyede – Assistant Director (NBS) – Secretary