Nigeria's House of Representatives is pushing hard to overhaul the country's statistical framework with new legislation.
Lawmakers argue the Statistics Act of 2007 is outdated and cannot handle modern economic demands. The bill seeks to replace it entirely.
At a public hearing in Abuja on Monday, Adegboyega Isiaka chairs the House Committee on National Planning and Economic Development. He told attendees why reform had become urgent.
"The 2007 law simply doesn't fit our 21st century reality," Isiaka noted. Modern systems now depend on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and real-time data platforms.
These technologies barely existed when lawmakers last updated the statute. Isiaka said the bill has cleared first and second reading in the chamber.
It's now at the public hearing stage to gather input from stakeholders. He called on participants to contribute "openly and objectively" to strengthen the proposed law.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas echoed the need for comprehensive statistical reform. According to him, Nigeria's current framework predates big data and cloud computing technologies.
"This isn't a minor tweak," Abbas stressed in his remarks. The bill represents a full architectural overhaul of how Nigeria collects and uses data.
Reliable statistics form the bedrock of sound governance, the Speaker warned. Without credible numbers, "decision-making becomes guesswork," he said.
Nigeria aims to become a $1 trillion economy, Abbas noted. That ambition demands accurate, timely information for budgeting and infrastructure planning.
The proposed legislation includes several key improvements. Funding for the National Bureau of Statistics will increase substantially under the new framework.
It will also reduce duplicate data collection across government agencies. Digital systems for information gathering and sharing will be modernised as well.
Abbas stressed that Parliament remains committed to transparency in lawmaking. The public hearing represents genuine opportunity for citizens and organisations to shape final legislation.
Adeyemi Adeniran, Statistician-General and CEO of the National Bureau of Statistics, endorsed the bill. He told the hearing that modernisation is essential for credible national development data.
According to Adeniran, the 2007 Act has outlived its usefulness. Today's data environment runs on digital innovation and emerging information sources.
The proposed law will strengthen coordination across Nigeria's entire statistical system. It will also raise professional standards and boost institutional capacity within the bureau.
Better decision-making depends on better data infrastructure, Adeniran argued. The new bill provides exactly that foundation.
