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 person agreed to deepen collaboration aimed astatine strengthening information management, accessibility and the betterment of nationalist facilities utilized for electoral activities successful the country.

This was disclosed connected Tuesday successful Abuja erstwhile the Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, paid a courtesy telephone connected the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

Speaking during the visit, Prof. Yakubu described the concern arsenic timely, noting that portion INEC maintains the largest database of big citizens for elections, the NBS coordinates the National Statistical System, which warehouses the widest database connected each aspects of nationalist life.

“This gathering focuses connected however NBS tin leverage connected the Commission’s extended web of locations for electoral services for the payment of citizens beyond elections which lone hap erstwhile successful 4 years,” Yakubu said.

He urged the NBS to see successful its periodic publications information connected the authorities of nationalist facilities—such arsenic polling units and collation centres—most of which are located successful nationalist schools lacking basal amenities similar electricity, h2o and disablement access.

According to him, improving specified facilities would payment not lone elections but besides Nigeria’s acquisition and societal infrastructure.

The INEC Chairman further recalled however the Commission had antecedently partnered with nationalist agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic by deploying its vehicles for interaction tracing and surveillance.

He assured that INEC remained unfastened to lawful collaborations that enactment antiauthoritarian and developmental goals portion preserving its organization independence.

On his part, the Statistician-General, Prince Adeniran, said the sojourn was to formalize collaboration that would alteration some agencies to stock and disseminate information much effectively.

“Our halfway mandate is to warehouse each authoritative information for the state truthful that government, policymakers and the nationalist tin person entree to timely and reliable information. Working with INEC, we anticipation to marque electoral information much accessible, particularly astatine the grassroots,” Adeniran said.

He commended INEC for its transparency and the measurement of publically disposable information connected its website but stressed the request to contiguous specified accusation successful simplified formats specified arsenic infographics to heighten nationalist understanding.

Adeniran besides explained that the NBS coordinates the largest statistical strategy successful Africa, involving ministries, departments, agencies, authorities governments and world institutions.

He said the Bureau was already moving an Integrated System of Administrative Statistics (ISAS) with 15 MDAs and intends to bring INEC into the level for seamless real-time information sharing.

“We look guardant to a precise engaging, constructive and productive collaboration arsenic it starts today,” the Statistician-General said.

Both agencies pledged to physique connected the concern to beforehand nationalist planning, fortify antiauthoritarian processes and guarantee that information serves arsenic a captious instrumentality for governance and improvement successful the country.

The station INEC, NBS spouse connected information management, electoral facilities appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.