NBS commits to effective management of administrative data, distributes equipment

By Okeoghene Akubuike

The National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) says it is committed to strengthening service delivery among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) through effective management of administrative data.

The Statistician-General (S-G) of the Federation, Adeyemi Adeniran, stated this during a two-day In-Boarding Training of Integrated Systems of Administrative Statistics (ISAS) and Equipment Distribution to MDAs in Abuja on Thursday.

Adeniran said the event was a strategic turning point in the nation’s journey towards a more integrated, efficient and responsive national statistics system in the country.

He noted that the administrative data system had been forgotten in silos, destroyed, incorporated and underutilised.

Adeniran,  however, said with the  ISAS in place now, the story would change for the better.

“The ISAS initiative represents our bold response to this long-standing challenge.

“ It is a comprehensive, historic approach to transforming how administrative data is collected, managed, shared and used across all tiers of government.

“With ISAS, we are laying the foundation for an integrated and interoperable data system where we can operationalise our data and exchange them seamlessly with our MDAs.”

The S-G said the ISAS would serve as a centralised data repository that would be accessible to policy makers, researchers and citizens at large.

He said the transformation was not merely technical but very crucial, cultural, institutional and above all, collaborative.

Adeniran said the training would equip the participants with the knowledge and tools required to engage with ISAS confidently and productively.

As part of the  ISAS implementation, the S-G distributed essential equipment, both hardware and software, to support seamless integration and communication between the NBS  and the MDAs

“ These tools are not just pieces of technology, they are the enablers of a new era of collaboration, data quality and institutional synergy.

“Today, we gather as co-builders of a new data ecosystem for Nigeria, one that is robust, harmonised and capable of underpinning the aspiration of good governance and sustainable development.”

Azeez Mustapha, the Project Coordinator, explained that ISAS offered the solution, which was a harmonised technology-enabled platform that integrated statistical processes and brought all the MDAs into one coordinated framework.

“Over the next two days, we will explore our ISAS works, what is expected from each of us  and most importantly, how we can institutionalise this system for the long term.”

Mustapha said the participating MDAs would also sign the Data Supply Pledge, thereby committing to the regular and timely sharing of administrative data.

Victor Okafor, the World Bank  Representative,  said that the programme was proof of the technical and statistical advancement of MDAs as well as the country.

According to her, this is because the technology incorporated to set this up has taken us, the statistical system in Nigeria, to the next level.

Okafor said the World Bank was happy to support the project and would continue to support the development of Nigeria’s national statistics ecosystem.

Victoria  Ojogbane,  from the Ministry of Justice, who spoke on behalf of the participants, gave the assurance that the equipment would be used for the purpose they were given, as she thanked the NBS for their collaboration.

The News Agency of Nigeria( NAN) reports that 15 MDAs would be onboarded in the pilot phase, and they include Ministries of Petroleum Resources, Water Resources, Justice, Education, Health, and Women Affairs, and the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.

Others are the Federal Inland Revenue Service,  Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority,  Federal Road Safety Corps, National Identity Management Commission, National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria, Nigeria Immigration Services, and the Nigeria Police Force. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)