Business
Statistics Bureau Gets N1.56bn World Bank Grant
The Acting Country Director of World Bank, Dr. Badrul Haque on Tuesday, said the Bank has granted 10 million dollars (N1.56 billion) to assist Nigeria in developing its statistical system.
The director, who disclosed this in a press release made available to The Tide source in Abuja, said that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) would be the beneficiary agency.
He stated that the project would start with a pilot scheme in six states of Edo, Kaduna, Ondo, Niger, Bauchi and Anambra.
He said that the grant was to enhance the Nigerian statistical system at the federal and state levels.
“The bank has also supported the NBS with 20 million dollars (N3.15 billion) Economic Management and Capacity Building Project (EMCAP) between 2000 and 2007.
“The grant was to improve the NBS’s capacity, quality and timeliness of data for economic and social analyses as well as wide dissemination.
“The World Bank and UK DFID also funded the Economic Reform and Governance Project (ERGP) with 15 million dollars (N2.36 billion) and 6.6 million Pounds Sterling (N1.66 billion), respectively since 2005.
“The grants were for the implementation of the National Statistical Master Plan 2005-2009.
“The key objective was to strengthen the capacity of the NBS and the national statistical system to generate reliable, timely and relevant statistic to support policy-making and monitoring the achievement of development objectives,’’ the statement said.
It stated that the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building at the state level of 325,000 dollars (N51.24 million) was also implemented from 2008 to 2011 to support Niger, Ekiti and Anambra States.