The Chairman of the Board of National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Dr. Kabiru Nakaura, has said that budgeting and planning with wrong statistical indicators will not only hurt the economy but will not yield the desired result.
Dr. Nakaura said this at the 43rd Annual Conference of the Nigerian Statistical Association (NSA), which ended at the weekend in Lokoja with the theme: “Population Explosion, Statistical Views and Solutions.” ADVERTISEMENT The expert said every country desiring a prosperous economy must pay attention to data as this will aid planning and budgeting for the growth of the economy.
He said Nigeria seems not to play priority on data gathering and this he linked to the poor funding of the NBS. The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, told participants at the conference that his State has taken data generation serious, including engaging an expert to help the State set up the structures for effective data gathering. Represented by Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Ayoade Arise, the Governor said he deployed statistics to help him sanitise the database of workers in his State after he assumed office.
The President of NSA, Professor Sidney Onyeagu, said despite the strategic importance of statistics and statisticians to the economy, not many Nigerians are interested in building a career in Statistics. Professor Onyeagu said it was necessary for trained statisticians to be in positions of collating data to ensure better economy and national development.
