Edo govt partners stakeholders on improving GDP accuracy

BY EGHOSA EMILY

Towards achieving the vision of accurate Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the Edo State Government through its Bureau of Statistics (ESBS) in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the World Bank, has organised a one-day Stakeholders Engagement on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Survey.

The engagement which held in Benin City, had in attendance stakeholders from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as the private sector.

According to the Statistician General, Edo State Bureau of Statistics, Mr. Bashiru Abiebhode, the aim of the engagement is to create awareness among stakeholders and business owners of upcoming enumeration exercises to guide them to provide accurate information, which is required to compute the Edo State’s accurate GDP.

Mr. Abiebhode disclosed that there would be training for 50 enumerators, who are

solely statisticians designated for the enumeration exercise to ensure accuracy and to cover all sectors of the economy.

The State Coordinator, Edo State Bureau of Statistics, Mr. David Obianubi stated

that the purpose of the stakeholder’s event is to trigger the willingness in the hearts of captains of industries and heads of MDAs in articulating the State’s GDP. 

He stressed that GDP shows how the economic structure of the state fares in comparison to other states and that the engagement creates an insight on the enumeration exercise to allay fear of giving false data based on alleged tax premises.

Similarly, the Statistician General of the Federation, Prince Yemi Adeniran, represented by the State Coordinator of National Bureau of Statistics, Mr. Emmanuel Agbebaku, accentuated that the collaboration demonstrates the importance of data driven decision making in promoting economic growth and development across the subnationals.

A participant, the Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Small-scale Industries, Mr. Noma Eguesehi commended the efforts of the State Bureau of Statistics for initiating an interaction and driving the move for a collaboration among stakeholders. He added that the growth of the GDP cannot be determined if the real stakeholders are not involved.