The Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, has said that corruption has remained a formidable challenge in Nigeria that requires all hands to be on deck to stamp it out of the country.
Adeniran stated this at the opening of the training of trainers for the third National survey on quality and integrity of public services in Nigeria, otherwise known as corruption survey, held yesterday in Abuja.
The survey would be in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), with support from McArthur Foundation to conduct the third National
He said the outcome of the survey would help assess the effectiveness of the efforts deployed by the government to tackle corruption, identify remaining gaps and determine priority areas for future initiatives.
According to him, “this will help the government craft future anti-corruption policies that are better designed, targeted and thus more effective.”
Adeniran said the training for the survey is a significant milestone in the collective effort to combat the scourge of corruption in Nigeria. “As we embark on this survey, we understand the importance of this activity in shaping the integrity landscape of our nation.
“This is because corruption remains a formidable challenge and the insights we gather are not just data points, but beacons guiding us towards a more transparent and accountable future.”
The NBS boss, who was represented by the Director of ICT, Biyi Fafunmi, said the survey is unique because it focuses primarily on understanding the experience of corruption by Nigerians, rather than perceived corruption, whenever they encounter public officials.
He added that the survey will also seek to gain deeper understanding of the differential impact of corruption on marginalised or typically excluded groups like women, youths and persons with disabilities.
He noted that the project is not meant to castigate or point fingers at any individual or institution, but rather an opportunity to look inwards and make necessary commitment to improving the quality of public service available to Nigerians.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Project Coordinator, Musa Mohammed, said states will be deeply involved in the survey as corruption is not only at national but also undermines development at the state’s and local government areas.