INEC, NBS partner on data management, electoral facilities
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC and the National Bureau of Statistics NBS have agreed to deepen collaboration aimed at strengthening data management, accessibility and the improvement of public facilities used for electoral activities in the country.
This was disclosed on Tuesday in Abuja when the Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, paid a courtesy call on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
Speaking during the visit, Prof. Yakubu described the partnership as timely, noting that while INEC maintains the largest database of adult citizens for elections, the NBS coordinates the National Statistical System, which warehouses the widest database on all aspects of national life.
“This meeting focuses on how NBS can leverage on the Commission’s extensive network of locations for electoral services for the benefit of citizens beyond elections which only happen once in four years,” Yakubu said.
He urged the NBS to include in its periodic publications data on the state of public facilities—such as polling units and collation centres—most of which are located in public schools lacking basic amenities like electricity, water and disability access.
According to him, improving such facilities would benefit not only elections but also Nigeria’s educational and social infrastructure.
The INEC Chairman further recalled how the Commission had previously partnered with national agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic by deploying its vehicles for contact tracing and surveillance.
He assured that INEC remained open to lawful collaborations that support democratic and developmental goals while preserving its institutional independence.
On his part, the Statistician-General, Prince Adeniran, said the visit was to formalize collaboration that would enable both agencies to share and disseminate data more effectively.
“Our core mandate is to warehouse all official data for the country so that government, policymakers and the public can have access to timely and reliable information. Working with INEC, we hope to make electoral data more accessible, especially at the grassroots,” Adeniran said.
He commended INEC for its transparency and the volume of publicly available data on its website but stressed the need to present such information in simplified formats such as infographics to enhance public understanding.
Adeniran also explained that the NBS coordinates the largest statistical system in Africa, involving ministries, departments, agencies, state governments and academic institutions.
He said the Bureau was already running an Integrated System of Administrative Statistics (ISAS) with 15 MDAs and intends to bring INEC into the platform for seamless real-time data sharing.
“We look forward to a very engaging, constructive and productive collaboration as it starts today,” the Statistician-General said.
Both agencies pledged to build on the partnership to advance national planning, strengthen democratic processes and ensure that data serves as a vital tool for governance and development in the country.
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