Why NBS revised Nigeria’s methodology for unemployment report
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has given reason why it decided to revise the methodology for the Labour Force Survey in the country.
The report, which discloses data and statistics on the country’s unemployment situation, has not be regular since 2021.
The Statistics agency said the publication has not been regular because of the need to review the methodology and implementation of the Nigeria labour force survey for generating data for the report.
The NBS said the review was necessary to devise a more sustainable method of conducting the survey, to accommodate the unique characteristics of the Nigerian Labour market.
Clarifying the decision to embark on the review, the NBS explained through its verified Twitter handle on Tuesday that this would ensure the methodology for collecting the data aligned with international standards and best practices.
“We have revised the methodology for the Labour Force Survey which produces the Unemployment Report, to ensure alignment with international standards and best practices,” the NBS said.
As part of its commitment to transparency and accountability, the NBS said it would actively engage with the public over the next few weeks, to explain the changes and their impact on the Labour Force Survey Results.
The agency urged the general public to visit its website at nigerianstat.gov.ng and other social media handles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube to get updates on the reviews on activities relating to its handling of all unemployment issues in the country.
“We believe that providing accurate and timely information is essential for evidence-based decision-making, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering reliable data to our stakeholders. We thank you for your continued support,” the NBS said.
In April 2021, Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, said the World Bank, which has always collaborated with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to produce the report, had questioned the methodology deployed by the NBS to generate its employment statistics.
The minister said the Bank on several occasions queried the employment statistics released by the NBS as not complying with international standards and best practices.
He said the National Economic Advisory Council and representatives of the World Bank have held a virtual meeting to review Nigeria’s modalities for collecting employment statistics and data .
The Minister agreed there were some confusion concerning the accuracy of data generated by the NBS, adding that the government has resolved to take steps to ensure alignment with international standards.
“The World Bank says the NBS methodology doesn’t conform to the global standard, especially the ILO format of arriving at our unemployment index.” Ngige said.
But the NBS said it conducted a pre-test and pilot of the new data gathering methodology, trained trainers and enumerators, and organized a nationwide sensitization workshop for officials from the government, the private sector and academia.
Since the fourth quarter of last year, the NBS said it initiated data collection using the new approach, in anticipation of the quarterly release of the national results and disaggregated state-level results pending the official launching of the Nigeria labour force survey report using the new approach and methodology in the second quarter of this year.
“Our commitment remains unwavering in meeting our mandate and providing stakeholders with timely and accurate data for policy formulation,” the NBS said.
