Abuja-based opinion research think-tank, Africa Polling Institute (API), has unveiled plans to partner with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on the collection of data on people living with disabilities (PWD) in Nigeria, under the Nigeria Disability Project.
The plan was made known during a recent courtesy visit by the Institute to the Bureau, Nigeria’s foremost statistical institution, charged with the responsibility of providing comprehensive, timely, relevant, responsive and user-focused statistical information relating to the social and economic lives of Nigerians.
In a press statement made available to LEADERSHIP by API Head Corporate Services, Amarachi Nelly Charles said the Nigeria Disability Project is a new development effort led by Africa Polling Institute, which is aimed at gathering evidence-based disaggregated gender and disability data in the country, with support from Ford Foundation.
During the visit, Executive Director of the Institute, Professor Bell Ihua gave a brief introduction of the Institute and its opinion research activities, which have led to the publishing of more than 10 reports in the last two years, since its inception.
He further introduce the Nigeria Disability Project to NBS, and expressly sought the partnership of the institution in the area of working closely to collect national data on gender and disability.
In response, Director, Corporate Planning and Technical Coordination Department of the Bureau and Chair of the meeting, Mr. Simon Harry, thanked the API team for the visit and proposed collaboration, while expressing the Institution’s willingness to partner with API on the disability project.
He said, “NBS as an agency is mandated to produce statistical data for the whole country and is always open to collaborating with the public, private and international development sectors, in order to achieve this mandate”.
Professor Ihua expressed gratitude to the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Dr. Yemi Kale, for the warm reception accorded the API team. Although he was physically absent from the meeting due to other official assignments, the meeting was very fruitful and productive.
In his words, “we are excited at this opportunity of collaborating with NBS on the Nigeria Disability Project, which is supported by Ford. I believe this would be the first of many collaborations to between both organizations.”
Africa Polling Institute (API) is an independent, non-profit and non-partisan opinion research think-tank, which conducts opinion polls, surveys, social research and evaluation studies at the intersection of democracy, governance, economic conditions, markets and public life.T
