FG inaugurates committee on data collection, harmonization

The time may have arrived to harmonise and put to good use the series of data collection by several agencies of government, as a committee has already been set up.

The arrangement, described as an Inter-Ministerial Committee, was unveiled in Abuja, yesterday, with a mandate to ensuring harmonisation of data collection and evaluation for the country.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who confirmed the development yesterday, said the committee would be headed by the Statistician-General of the Federation and Director-General of National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Dr. Yemi Kale.

She also disclosed that the inter-ministerial committee would serve as the clearinghouse and focal authority for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government for data collection, authentication and publication.

The mandate also includes ensuring national standards for data collection, evaluation and publication, as well as regular provision of guidance to all MDAs and other stakeholders, who engage in data collection, analysis and publication for policy formulation, implementation and monitoring.

“The establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Committee has become imperative to develop the production of national statistics and avoid data production duplication,” the Minister stated.

The inter-ministerial committee is also expected to submit half-yearly reports to the Minister of Finance for necessary briefing of Mr. President.

The committee members include the Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Idris Ahmed; Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Ms. Patience Oniha; Director-General of Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze; and representatives drawn across ministries of Finance; Budget and National Planning; Health; Agriculture and Rural Development; Labour and Productivity; Education, and Communications Technology.

The representatives’ group also comprises the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; Central Bank of Nigeria; Department of Petroleum Resources; Federal Inland Revenue Service; Nigeria Immigration Service; Nigerian Customs Service; National Population Commission; Nigerian Police; and Nigerian Governors Forum.