House of Representatives has commenced legislative action to repeal Nigeria’s 2007 Statistics Act and replace it with a new legal framework.
The review is aimed at strengthening the country’s statistical system, improving funding for the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and aligning official data production with global digital standards.
The review was the focus of a public hearing on the Statistics Bill, 2025 (HB. 2491), organised by the House Committee on National Planning and Economic Development on Monday in Abuja.
In his address, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said the proposed legislation was not a routine amendment but a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s statistical governance structure.
He noted that the current Statistics Act, enacted 18 years ago, was designed for a vastly different technological environment.
According to Abbas, Nigeria now operates a data-driven global economy where governance, investment decisions and accountability depend heavily on credible statistics.
He warned that without reliable data, governance becomes speculative rather than evidence-based.
The speaker also linked the reform to Nigeria’s broader economic ambitions, noting that the country’s goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy would be impossible without accurate and timely statistical systems.
In his remarks, the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, described the bill as a timely intervention to modernise Nigeria’s data governance framework.
Earlier, the Chairman of the House Committee on National Planning and Economic Development, Adegboyega Nasiru Isiaka, said the reform had become necessary due to rapid global changes in data production and utilisation.
He described statistics as a strategic national asset rather than a mere technical tool, stressing that no country can achieve sustainable development without reliable data.
