From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja

The National Bureau of Statistics has started the first digitalised National Agricultural Sample Census (NGSC), after being due for about three decades.

The Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer, National Bureau of Statistics, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, disclosed this at the Training of Trainers of the NASC four-day workshop holding in Abuja.

Adeniran stated that the first part of the National Agriculture Sample Census (NASC) would be the listing of all farmers in all the local governments, adding that the entire process would be carried out digitally.

He further explained that NASC would provide statistical data that would aid both public and private policymakers on important decisions on how to increase their output.

“The Agricultural sector holds a critical place in our lives as Nigerians. This sector alone, through its various activities, accounts for approximately 25% of the economy and employs over 50% of the workforce of the country, both directly and indirectly. Equally crucial as the sector is the vital information about the sector.

“It is important to know what we produce and how much of it we produce; what parts of the country they are produced, and the kinds of inputs needed; the size of manpower engaged, and the sorts of challenges encountered and what other potentials exist within the sector. All these kinds of information are what the NASC exercise seeks to collect.

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“When completed, NASC will provide a statistically sound base of data for the policymakers, both public and private, to take important decisions on how to increase the total output and develop it to maximise its potential throughout the entire value chain. It will also be complemented by other statistical activities, both surveys and administrative data collection, to serve as a major input to the proposed Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rebasing.

“The results of the census will also form a statistical framework for the conduct of subsequent agricultural surveys in Nigeria, capturing all aspects including crop production, livestock, poultry, fishery, and forestry. So, as you can imagine, this exercise is a very important one, not just to the statistical system in Nigeria, but to the nation entirely. The design and methodology for the conduct of this exercise are advanced.

” NBS has secured newly demarcated digitise enumeration area maps from the National Population Commission, which will be deployed for the conduct of this census. These newly carved out maps will serve as a basis for the segmentation of the areas we intend to visit for this assignment. With these digital maps, the process of locating selected enumeration areas and communities will be seamless, and highly efficient.

In her speech, Olusola Idowu, permanent secretary ministry of budget and national planning, said the census was long overdue as the agricultural sector remains critical in Nigeria’s economy as well as its enormous potential.

She said the aim of the census is ultimately to increase output in the entire agricultural value chain and meet the country’s food demand, employment and export earnings.

Idowu further added that the dual impact of the COVID 19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war on food has clearly shown that it is no longer business as usual and that there is a need for the country to be self-sufficient in food production.

“We need to produce what we eat leveraging our vast human and natural resources,” she stated, noting, however, that all these cannot be done without adequate data, which should be a key driver of government sound policies and programmes.