The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed readiness to collaborate with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to enhance the collection, management, and use of data for national development.
Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the assurance on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, while receiving the Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, and his management team at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Prof. Yakubu described the courtesy visit—the first between both institutions—as a milestone towards harnessing institutional strengths for the benefit of Nigerians. He noted that while NBS manages the country’s largest official database on socio-economic matters, INEC maintains the most extensive database of adult citizens for elections, safeguarded under the law and the National Data Protection Act.
“Today’s meeting focuses on how NBS can leverage INEC’s network of electoral service locations to benefit citizens beyond elections, which only occur once every four years or as the need arises,” Yakubu said. He emphasized that INEC remains open to partnerships with relevant national agencies within the confines of the law, without compromising its independence.
Recalling INEC’s support to national agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic, Yakubu explained that similar cooperation with NBS would ensure that electoral facilities also serve wider social purposes. He urged NBS to consider the condition of public facilities used as polling units and ward collation centres in its national reports, particularly in relation to electricity supply, water access, and disability inclusion.
The INEC Chairman further encouraged stakeholders to utilize the Commission’s Atlas of Electoral Constituencies and Electoral Facilities Locator (EFLoc), available on its website, as reliable resources for mapping electoral infrastructure nationwide.
In his remarks, the Statistician-General, Prince Adeniran, commended INEC’s diligence and transparency in managing elections, describing the Commission as indispensable to Nigeria’s democracy. He stressed the pivotal role of statistics in governance, noting that NBS not only produces data but also coordinates the National Statistical System, comprising state bureaus, government agencies, and academic institutions.
He disclosed that the Bureau is developing an Integrated System of Administrative Statistics (ISATS) to facilitate real-time data sharing across institutions and pledged to extend the system to INEC. “This collaboration will ensure that vital data from INEC becomes part of the national statistical architecture, while INEC can also access data from other MDAs for planning and operational purposes,” Adeniran said.
Both agencies pledged to sustain the partnership within their mandates, reaffirming a shared commitment to building a stronger data ecosystem to support democracy, governance, and sustainable development in Nigeria.
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