The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says its highlights of the 2022 Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) survey revealed that 63 per cent or 133 million of persons living within Nigeria are multi-dimensionally poor.
The national MPI is 0.257, indicating that poor people in Nigeria experience just over one-quarter of all possible deprivations.
Semiu Adeniran, Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer (NBS), said this at the 2nd Bi- National Consultative Committee of Statistics (NCCS) in Lagos.
He said, NBS will begin the zonal dissemination of its Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report in January 2023.
Adeniran said that under the process, the results of each state in the respective zones would be presented in more detail.
He noted that the MPI report would have details such as methodology and computation process that would be explained further.
The Statistician General said that the bureau’s MPI Report includes the Nigerian Living Standard Survey (NLSS) and the Nigerian Labour Force Survey (NLFS) which together with World Bank would also provide detailed household information and insights into labour and welfare conditions in the country.
According to him, NLSS will provide detailed information on household consumption, education, health, employment, housing conditions, assets, household enterprise and other key non-monetary indicators of welfare.
On the other hand, he said the NLFS is a strategic survey designed to collect and analyse labour market statistics for the country, including the generally understood and widely anticipated headline unemployment and underemployment rates.
Adeniran said that the theme for the meeting; “The Direct Implication of Sectoral Statistics in Curbing Inflation”, is extremely fitting for the current times in the country.
“You only need to listen to some of the numbers and headlines emanating from some African nations and beyond, to fully understand the severity of the global situation we are facing.
“In Ghana, Ethiopia and Rwanda, inflation for the month of October was reported at 40.4 per cent, 31.7 per cent and 31 per cent respectively.
“Countries in the West are also reporting record inflation figures, with the UK recording its highest rate of 11.1 per cent, since 1981, a high of forty years,” he said.
Also, in his remarks, Chairman of Governing Board, NBS, Kabiru Nakaura, said the task of the meeting was to meet the need of good and realisable statistics across all tiers of government for informed decision and policy making.
“Hence, it is pertinent for all countries to have established statistical agencies such as the National Bureau of Statistics in the case of Nigeria, whose work it is to collect, process and disseminate such statistics.
According to him, planning and evidence-based policy making can only be effective when statistics is promoted as a tool for development.
Earlier, in his opening address, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, said the meeting came at a time the state government was holding a revenue retreat to restrategise the efforts in ensuring increased Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) to achieve its development agenda, called “THEME Agenda”.
Sanwo-Olu, represented by the state Director of Statistics, Mr Bashiru Oseni-Ope, said the meeting strengthens the coordination amongst major practitioners and professionals as well as other players in the National Statistical System in Nigeria Data Plan.
