By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to strengthen the collection, management, and use of data for the benefit of I’m Nigerians.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave this assurance on Tuesday when he played host to the
Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran and his management team in Abuja.
Yakubu described the meeting, the first between both agencies, as a significant step towards harnessing institutional strengths for national development.
He noted that while NBS manages the nation’s largest official database on all aspects of national life, INEC maintains the most extensive database of adult citizens for elections, safeguarded by law and in compliance with the National Data Protection Act.
According to him, “today’s (Tuesday’s) meeting focuses on how NBS can leverage the Commission’s network of locations for electoral services for the benefit of citizens beyond elections, which only happen once in four years or as the need arises.
“We are always willing to partner with national agencies within the confines of the law while maintaining our independence”, he said.
The INEC Chairman recalled the Commission’s support to national agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic, when INEC deployed its vehicles to aid infection prevention and surveillance.
He explained that similar cooperation with NBS would ensure that electoral facilities also serve wider social purposes.
Yakubu also urged the Bureau to factor the state of public facilities used as polling units and ward collation centres into its national reports, especially in relation to electricity, water, and accessibility for persons with disabilities.
“Let these facilities, which train our youths at the foundation and intermediate levels of the education system, be beneficiaries of the widely proclaimed dividends of democracy,” he said.
The INEC Chairman further encouraged stakeholders to explore INEC’s Atlas of Electoral Constituencies and Electoral Facilities Locator (EFLoc), both available on the Commission’s website, as reliable resources for mapping electoral infrastructure across the country.
Earlier, the Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeniran commended INEC’s diligence and transparency in managing Nigeria’s electoral process, describing the Commission as indispensable to the nation’s democracy.
Adeniran highlighted the critical role of statistics in governance, explaining that NBS not only produces data but also coordinates the entire National Statistical System, which includes state bureaus of statistics, government agencies, and academic institutions.
He made reference to ongoing efforts to harmonize methodologies across agencies to prevent duplication and ensure the credibility of data.
The Statistician General of the Federation disclosed that NBS is developing an Integrated System of Administrative Statistics (ISATS) to enable seamless sharing of real-time data with partner institutions and pledged to extend this system to INEC.
“This collaboration will ensure that vital data from INEC becomes part of the national statistical architecture, while INEC can also access data from other MDAs for planning and operational purposes,” he said.
Both agencies pledged to sustain the partnership in line with their respective mandates, with a shared commitment to building a stronger data ecosystem for democracy and development in Nigeria.
