8,809 wards captured as NBS completes landmark enumeration exercise across Nigeria

National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, has completed the enumeration of all 8,809 wards across Nigeria, providing the government with what it described as the first comprehensive ward-level data set under the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme.

The Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the NBS, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, disclosed this on Wednesday in Kano at the 1st Bi-Annual Meeting of the National Consultative Committee on Statistics, NCCS.

The two-day meeting, themed “Unlocking Data Dividends for National Development: Advancing Administrative Statistics and Data-Driven Governance,” brought together key stakeholders in Nigeria’s statistical system to deliberate on the role of data in planning, policy formulation and governance.

Mr Adeniran said the ward enumeration exercise was conducted under the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, coordinated by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and implemented by the NBS.

He described the exercise as the first of its kind in the country, saying the data generated from the 8,809 wards would provide a stronger basis for planning and development interventions at the grassroots.

“We have completed the first-ever Ward Enumeration Exercise under the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, coordinated by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

“We have collected data of all the 8,809 wards in the country. The exercise was implemented by the NBS,” he said.

Adeniran said further details on the data collected and other activities undertaken by the bureau would be presented during the meeting.

The NBS chief said Nigeria’s statistical landscape was undergoing rapid transformation, with increasing demand for timely, credible and disaggregated information to support public decision-making.

He noted that the nature and volume of data available to governments had also changed significantly, with digital, telecommunications, financial and geospatial data increasingly shaping understanding of the country’s economy and society.

According to him, the challenge is no longer simply the production of data but ensuring that available information is accessible, trusted, integrated and properly analysed to generate evidence capable of improving government decisions and citizens’ lives.

“At NBS, we recognise that our responsibility goes beyond producing and publishing statistics. In line with modern trends, we are also working to build a modern system that reflects the evolving global statistical landscape and users’ needs for impactful, inclusive data,” Adeniran said.

He said the need to modernise Nigeria’s statistical system informed the theme of the meeting and the design of the new National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS).

The Statistician-General said Nigeria, through the NBS, had also joined international initiatives aimed at promoting inclusive and high-impact use of data.

He listed the Power of Data (PoD) High Impact Initiative, the Make Inclusive Data the Norm (MIDN) Initiative and the Inclusive Data Charter among initiatives through which Nigeria was seeking to strengthen its statistical system.

“All of these demonstrate our desire and commitment to building a modern, strong and responsive statistical system in Nigeria that leads on the African continent and stands shoulder to shoulder with the best statistics offices in the world,” he said.

Mr Adeniran further announced that Nigeria would, for the first time, host the 20th Meeting of the Committee of Directors-General of Statistics Offices in Africa (CoDGs) in December.

He described the planned hosting as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s statistical system and said the NBS would provide more details as preparations for the meeting progressed.

Also speaking, Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, described statistics as indispensable to sound public policy, effective planning and accountable governance.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Farouk, said governments could not properly identify the needs of citizens, allocate resources or assess the impact of policies without credible and timely data.

Nr Yusuf said reliable statistics were particularly important to Kano because of its large population, expanding urban centres and extensive agricultural communities.

“We need accurate information on our population, education, healthcare, agriculture, employment, infrastructure, poverty, businesses and other aspects of social and economic life,” he said.

According to him, such information enables governments to channel resources to areas where they are most needed and ensure that development programmes produce measurable results.

“This is why my administration places considerable importance on evidence-based decision-making. We recognise that good governance must be guided not by assumptions or perceptions but by evidence and reliable information,” the governor said.

While declaring the conference open, Yusuf said the work of statisticians had become increasingly important as governments faced growing demands for accurate information to guide policy and development.

He urged participants at the meeting to strengthen collaboration within Nigeria’s statistical system and explore ways of ensuring that data generated by public institutions translated into practical improvements in governance and service delivery.

The meeting is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to examine the challenges confronting the production and use of administrative statistics and develop strategies for improving Nigeria’s data ecosystem.