The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said it produces quality, objective and independent data that has made development organisations to depend on it for data indicators concerning Nigeria.
The Statistician-General of the Federation, Adeyemi Adeniran who made the remark yesterday said Nigerians need to keep faith with the bureau on the data it produces as it follows the scientific process for gathering them.
Speaking at a retreat organised for journalists and civil society organisations in Keffi, Nasarawa State, Adeniran stated that with the NBS coordinator of the national statistical system in Nigeria, it occupies a very delicate role and is expected to be independent in its operations.
“Doing this, especially in our environment, which can be polarised by certain sentiments, is increasingly difficult. Some persons will not believe anything published by NBS simply because it is a government institution, however, when the same thing is published by the IMF or the World Bank, or any other development partner, they accept it without question, forgetting completely, that those same development partners rely on us fully to produce those indicators.”
NBS Director of Communication and Public Relations, Joel Ichedi, said the training was to technically and operationally improve their knowledge of the issues by ensuring fact-based reportage of the NBS data on all areas of Nigeria’s development to the public.