The House of Representatives on Monday commenced the process of repealing Nigeria’s 18-year-old Statistics Act and replacing it with a new legal framework aimed at modernising the country’s statistical system for the digital age.
Speaking at a public hearing on the Statistics Bill, 2025, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said the proposed legislation would strengthen the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), improve funding mechanisms, and enhance the production of reliable data for governance and economic planning.
Abbas described the Statistics Act of 2007 as outdated, noting that the current data ecosystem is vastly different from what existed when the law was enacted.
“We live in a fast-evolving digital age where data is generated at a velocity, veracity, volume and variety never seen before,” he said, adding that the bill represents “a complete structural overhaul” rather than a minor amendment.
According to the Speaker, the proposed law seeks to create a modern and globally competitive National Statistical System capable of supporting evidence-based policymaking, economic transformation, digital innovation and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
He stressed that reliable statistics remain essential for policy formulation, resource allocation, monitoring and evaluation, warning that governance without dependable data becomes speculative.
Abbas said the bill would strengthen coordination among statistical agencies, improve data quality assurance, promote digital data collection and dissemination, and establish sustainable funding arrangements for the NBS.
He added that Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a $1 trillion economy would require accurate and timely data to guide policy decisions and public investments.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the House Committee on National Planning and Economic Development, Adeboyega Nasiru Isiaka, described data as a strategic national asset critical to governance, investment and development planning.
Isiaka said the review became necessary due to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, geospatial technologies and real-time information systems, which were not contemplated under the 2007 law.
He urged stakeholders, including government agencies, development partners, academics, civil society groups and private sector representatives, to make constructive contributions to strengthen the proposed legislation.
Also speaking, the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics, Adeyemi Adeniran, said the bill would provide a stronger legal foundation for the production, coordination and use of official statistics in Nigeria.
Adeniran noted that the proposed legislation consists of eight parts and 42 clauses addressing statistical governance, institutional development, data management, confidentiality, accountability, funding and stakeholder coordination.
He said the passage of the bill would enhance the capacity of the National Statistical System to provide timely, reliable and credible data needed for effective governance, policy formulation and national development.
Stakeholders at the hearing were invited to scrutinise the provisions of the bill and submit recommendations before its final consideration by the National Assembly.
