The National Bureau of Statistics has played a pivotal role in driving project interventions worth $8.9bn across various sectors in Nigeria, including agriculture, education, water, and social protection.
The Statistician General of the Federation, Adeyemi Adeniran, disclosed this during the launch and dissemination of the General Household Survey Panel, Wave 5, held in Abuja on Thursday.
“Over the last five years, the survey findings have informed the design of projects and intervention programs totaling approximately $8.9 billion.
“These projects span agriculture and food, education, water, social protection and jobs, governance, and other critical areas,” he added.
Highlighting the survey’s findings, Adeniran revealed stark differences in electricity access between urban and rural households.
“Urban households enjoy 82.2 percent access to electricity compared to just 40.4 percent in rural areas.
“On average, households face 6.7 power blackouts weekly, nationally,” he said.
The survey also captured data on shocks affecting households, with economic shocks being the most reported.
“Seventy-one percent of households cited price increases in major food items as the most prevalent shock experienced,” Adeniran added.
The GHS – Panel, Wave 5, is a longitudinal survey that tracks the same households over time, making it a unique achievement for Nigeria and Africa.
“This is the fifth wave of the survey, following approximately 5,000 households since its inception in 2010/11. It is the first of its kind for any African National Statistics Office,” Adeniran explained.
The panel approach provides an opportunity for in-depth analysis of living conditions and life in Nigeria. Using data from Waves Four and Five, an asset index categorized households into three wealth transition groups: 41.7% of households remained in the same wealth quintile as in Wave Four, 29.4% experienced upward mobility, 28.9% saw a decline in their wealth position.
Key factors influencing these changes included environmental and economic shocks, with floods and post-harvest losses cited as major drivers of downward mobility.
Adeniran emphasized that the survey not only fulfills the Bureau’s mandate of providing data but also enhances its capacity for innovation and testing modern survey methods.
“This platform allows NBS to meet its data obligations while also exploring innovative approaches to survey implementation,” he said.
Adeniran underscored the importance of the GHS findings for policymaking and development planning.
“This survey tells the story of life in Nigeria, providing invaluable insights into the living conditions of Nigerians,” he concluded.
The comprehensive data generated by the GHS Panel, Wave 5, is expected to further guide targeted interventions and policy decisions to improve the lives of Nigerians.
