NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STATISTICS (NSDS)

A meeting of African Statisticians held in Marrakech, Morocco in 2004 came up with an Action Plan for Statistics tagged, Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics (MAPS). The major feature of the Action Plan is the need for African Countries to “mainstream Strategic Planning in their Statistical Systems, especially through the implementation of National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS)”.

Accordingly, the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics (MAPS) set a target for all low-income African Countries to have designed the NSDS by 2006 and to have started to implement them by 2007, with a view to producing high quality statistics for national and international use by the time of the next major review of the Millennium Goals in 2010.

In Nigeria, the NSDS is a 5 year plan spanning over 2008/09 – 2012/13. It is to provide mechanisms for a holistic reform of the National Statistical System (NSS) and ensure an integrated, unified data production system in the country. The Strategy is also being developed as a framework for strengthening statistical capacity across the entire National Statistical System for result oriented management. It is equally expected to provide an integrated frame work within which different sectors will generate, disseminate and use statistics that are credible, reliable, meet individual needs as well as provide a sound basis for national planning and development.