Chairman of the House Committee on National Planning, Gboyega Isiaka, has unveiled plans to grant the National Bureau of Statistics financial autonomy as part of broader efforts to strengthen the agency’s independence and operational efficiency.
Mr. Isiaka made this known on Friday in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the Liberian House of Representatives on a bilateral exchange visit.
He emphasized the committee’s commitment to ensuring sufficient funding, greater transparency, and public confidence in the data produced by the NBS, which he described as crucial to Nigeria’s national development.
The lawmaker revealed that a National Tax Trust Fund is also being considered.
The fund would allow stakeholders who benefit from NBS data to contribute directly, creating a reliable source of funding for the bureau’s activities.
He further explained that the proposed legislative reforms would empower the NBS to collect data from private sector sources. According to him, financial autonomy is essential for the agency to carry out its expanded mandate effectively.
Mr. Isiaka pointed out that the current legal framework guiding the NBS was last updated in 2007, amending a law that originally dates back to 1957. He said the proposed bill, which recently passed first reading, seeks to modernize the bureau’s operations by addressing loopholes and providing more sustainable funding mechanisms.
“The bill, recently passed at first reading, aims to enhance NBS independence, especially in funding, moving beyond reliance on government budget allocations,” Mr. Isiaka said.
He also referenced the National Strategy for Developmental Statistics 2024–2028, which assigns additional responsibilities to the NBS and makes financial autonomy a necessary condition for the bureau to meet its obligations.
During the visit, Chairman of Liberia’s Ways, Means and Finance Committee, Mike Jurry, praised Nigeria’s advancements in statistical systems. He said Liberia was inspired to engage with Nigeria due to the latter’s progress in building robust data infrastructure.
“We have about 5.2 million people; Nigeria has more than 200 million. The comparison shows why we came to learn from Nigeria’s more developed infrastructure and data systems,” Mr. Jurry stated.
Nigeria’s Statistician General, Semiu Adeniran, also addressed the delegation, offering insights into the NBS’s operations, recent innovations, and the role of the Economic and National Planning Committee in ongoing reforms.
Mr. Adeniran noted that the exchange between the two legislative committees would foster deeper collaboration aimed at improving statistical frameworks and data quality in both countries.
