The Chairman of the House Committee on National Planning, Gboyega Isiaka, has announced plans to grant the National Bureau of Statistics financial autonomy to strengthen its operations and independence.

The lawmaker made the disclosure on Friday in Abuja while hosting a delegation from the Liberian House of Representatives during a bilateral exchange visit.

Mr Isiaka stressed the committee’s focus on ensuring adequate funding, transparency, and confidence in the data generated by the National Bureau of Statistics for national development.

The lawmaker noted plans to establish a National Tax Trust Fund, where stakeholders benefiting from NBS data would contribute to secure consistent and reliable funding.

He explained the proposed legislation would empower the bureau to collect data from the private sector, highlighting the necessity of financial independence for effective operations.

Mr Isiaka, who said the current NBS Act dated back to 2007, amending the original 1957 law, added that new reforms were needed to address existing loopholes and funding challenges.

“The bill, recently passed at first reading, aims to enhance NBS independence, especially in funding, moving beyond reliance on government budget allocations,” Mr Isiaka said.

He noted that the National Strategy for Developmental Statistics 2024-2028 assigned greater responsibility to NBS, making financial autonomy critical to fulfilling its mandate.

Chairman of Liberia’s Ways, Means and Finance Committee, Mike Jurry, hailed Nigeria’s progress in statistics, noting that Liberia’s visit was motivated by Nigeria’s advancements.

Mr Jurry acknowledged Nigeria’s vast population and infrastructure, explaining that the Liberian delegation aimed to learn and apply lessons to improve their own statistical systems.

He stated, “We have about 5.2 million people; Nigeria has more than 200 million. The comparison shows why we came to learn from Nigeria’s more developed infrastructure and data systems.’’

Nigeria’s Statistician General, Semiu Adeniran, briefed the Liberian delegation on NBS operations, innovations, and the role of the Economic and National Planning Committee in driving reforms.

Mr Adeniran highlighted the productive interaction between the two countries’ legislative committees, fostering collaboration to enhance statistical legislation and data quality across both nations.

(NAN)