By SundiataPOST, Abuja
Mr Oladejo Ajayi, the former Director-General, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), on Tuesday in Abuja urged the federal and state governments to develop data quality assessment framework for the country.
Ajayi gave the advice in Abuja in a lecture entitled “Quality Data to Support African Progress: A case study of Nigeria’’, which he delivered as part of activities to commemorate `African Statistics Day’.
The event was organised by the NBS.
Ajayi called for the development of the sector, state and local governments Statistics Strategic Plans to enhance the quality of statistical products coming to the sector, state and local statistical systems.
He said that the certification criteria for statistical products to be admitted as official statistics should be developed.
“A well articulated programme for the strengthening of the Nigerian Statistical System (NSS) should be developed and dedicatedly implemented.
“Methodology section of the NBS requires rebuilding and strengthening so that it could adequately serve the entire NSS,’’ Ajayi said.
He said the NSS needed to be strengthened through the rebuilding of state, sector and local government statistical systems.
The former DG said that strengthening NSS would enhance data quality assurance for statistical products coming to the sector, state and local statistical systems.
Mr George Oparaku, the Director, Real Sector and Household Surveys Department, NBS, said that the lecture was imperative to the importance of statistics in national planning, policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation of government projects.
