By Atoyebi Nike
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have opened a new chapter of collaboration aimed at improving data sharing and harnessing public infrastructure for national development.
This came as the Statistician-General of the Federation, Adeyemi Adeniran, paid a courtesy visit to INEC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday. INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, welcomed the partnership, describing it as a strategic step to strengthen governance.
Yakubu lauded the NBS for maintaining Nigeria’s largest official database on national life, while highlighting INEC’s role in managing the country’s most extensive database of adult citizens, safeguarded under the National Data Protection Act.
He urged the NBS to include data on the condition of public facilities, particularly schools serving as polling units, in its national surveys. Many of these facilities, he noted, lack basic amenities such as electricity, water, and disability access, which affect both elections and community use.
INEC also offered the NBS access to its Atlas of Electoral Constituencies and Electoral Facilities Locator to support data-driven planning. Yakubu stressed that the commission would continue to work with national agencies “within the confines of the law while maintaining its independence.”
In response, Adeniran underscored the importance of integrating INEC into the Integrated System of Administrative Services, a digital platform currently linking 15 MDAs for real-time data exchange. He said INEC’s inclusion would strengthen the validation of administrative statistics and aid the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.
Both leaders expressed optimism that the partnership will enhance governance, boost national development, and improve service delivery across institutions.
