NAN-HE-8
Statistics
By Cecilia Ologunagba
Mararaba, Nov. 21, 2016 (NAN) The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday urged journalists to join in the crusade to make Nigeria a data conscious nation by popularising the place statistics.
The NBS Chief Executive Officer, Dr Yemi Kale, gave the advice at a Sensitisation Workshop for Journalists in Mararaba, Nasarawa.
Kale, also the Statistician General of the Federation, said popularising the place of statistics would enhance economic growth in the county.
The statistician-general said that some members of the public had expressed scepticism on some of the data produced by NBS.
He said that they had expressed some scepticism as they believed the numbers did not reflect the reality of things around them.
“After this workshop, it is my belief that the number of such issues will reduced,’’ Kale said.
Kale was represented by Mr Isiaka Olarewaju, the Director, Real Sector and Household Statistics Department in the NBS.
“It will be addressed because members of the media through their better understanding of the numbers and processes will assist to interprete the numbers to the public.
“We should also understand that Nigeria is a developing country and as such, positive and negative data on some economic and social indicators are expected,’’ he said.
Responding on behalf of the journalists, Mr Tola Akinwutimi thanked the NBS for organising the workshop again after three years.
Akinwutimi, the Group Business Editor, National Mirror Newspaper, commended the bureau for transforming its operations and the timely release of its reports.
He, however, appealed to the bureau to further simplify the reports and make them understandable for better reportage.
“We will appreciate you simplify your reports and put it in a summary format so that we can understand it better,’’ he said.
The editor also appealed to NBS to sustain the workshop and make it a yearly programme.
In his presentation, Mr Simeon Harry, Head of Department Corporate Planning and Technical Coordination Department, NBS, urged journalists to further sensitise public on the importance of statistics.
Harry, who gave a presentation on “NBS: The Past, Present and Future,’’ said that bureau had transformed its operations from analogue to digital.
The official said that NBS was one of the leading bureaux in Africa, noting that it was only the South African bureau that was ahead of NBS in the sub-region.
He said that the only instrument to maximise economic benefit was through the use of statistics for planning and development purposes.
“Today, we are having issue of abandoned of projects, with the statistics that will be prevented.
“Also, for us to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), we need statistics to give us guide and sense of direction to implement the goals,’’ Harry said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 30 journalists attended the workshop. (NAN)
CIA/AOM/TA
(Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Tajudeen Atitebi)