NATIONAL SOCIAL PROTECTION STATISTICS DIALOGUE AND DATA COLLECTION ENGAGEMENT

by

JOY ABAH (HEAD,COMMUNICATIONS)

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), convened the National Social Protection Statistics Dialogue and Data Collection Engagement from 22nd to 24th September 2026.
The three-day engagement brought together relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), sub-national institutions, social protection programme implementers and other stakeholders involved in the generation, management and utilisation of social protection data.

OPENING REMARKS DELIVERED BY THE STATISTICIAN-GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION/ CEO NBS

The engagement was organised to strengthen Nigeria's social protection statistical system by improving coordination, standardising data collection and reporting, strengthening institutional capacity, and promoting the regular production and dissemination of reliable social protection statistics. The initiative is particularly relevant to the monitoring of social protection coverage and expenditure, including reporting against SDG Indicator 1.3.1.

CROSS-SECTION OF PARTICIPANTS

The major objectives of the engagement were to:
Strengthen the capacity of national and sub-national MDAs to produce and manage social protection statistics.
Improve participants' understanding and application of the Social Security Inquiry (SSI) Tool.
Collect, consolidate and validate administrative social protection data from participating institutions.
Promote greater coordination and collaboration among institutions involved in social protection statistics.
Strengthen mechanisms for regular production and dissemination of social protection statistics.
Advance the design and development of a Social Protection Management Information System (SP-MIS).
Lay the foundation for institutionalising the annual production of social protection statistics in Nigeria.

The engagement featured technical presentations, interactive sessions, practical exercises and discussions on social protection statistics and administrative data management.
The Statistician General of the federation in his opening remarks said the
gathering is particularly important because Nigeria’s social protection landscape is itself entering an important period of transition. The government is increasingly taking steps to strengthen national ownership, coordination, financing, and delivery of social protection and poverty reduction interventions.

GROUP PHOTOGRAPH