Business
‘Household Data, Imperative For Vision 20:2020 Success’
Mr Yemi Kale, the Statistician-General of the Federation, says household survey results will help the country in achieving the vision 20:2020 objective.
Kale made the statement in Abuja last Thursday at the Data Launch of the General Household Panel Survey, organised by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and World Bank.
“Today’s data launch of our first wave of the General Household Panel Survey is another demonstration of the current administration to transform the country.
“It is also the administration’s resolve to inform and involve all Nigerians in the long term decisions that affect their lives regardless of age, gender and ethnic backgrounds, religions and political affiliations, academic and intellectual pursuits,” he said.
The statistician-general said the survey was imperative as it would help policy and decision making within the government and the community to improve the welfare of the households in areas of health, nutrition and education.
He said NBS in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture planned to conduct a National Agriculture Sample Survey that would provide evidence of the impact of past policies and interventions in the sector.
He said he was interested in the launch of Computer Assisted Personal Interview Application devices for data capture.
Kale expressed the hope that the gradual use of electronic data capture technologies in efficient ways would increase the accuracy, reliability and timeliness of data produced.
In his speech, Dr Badru Haq, the Acting Director, World Bank, said global research by the bank had shown that better access to health, education, nutrition and education of mothers supported faster economic mobility.
Haq said “the survey results being launched in Nigeria will provide specific information for the country as it reveals what economic activities help households move out of poverty.
“It also reveals how households react to government policies and programmes, how government safety nets protect people when they suffer economic shocks and how the agricultural sector contributes to household welfare.”
Haq said once the survey data was available and analysed, it would be of tremendous value to policy makers, researchers and other stakeholders to design, test and evaluate social and economic policies.
“The survey is of particular relevance now in Nigeria given its Agricultural Transformation Agenda.
“Government of Nigeria will be able to use the data to understand the key factors that serve as bottlenecks to development in the country and those policies and programmes that best increase household welfare.
“This will be critical information for policy makers for planning and programme design,” he said.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.