NBS, World Bank Partner to Train Enumerators on Unemployment

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
In its bid to have comprehensive data on unemployment, employment and job situation in Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said that it has commenced training for enumerators to collect data that would reveal dependable information on unemployment and job situation in the country.The Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the NBS, Mr. Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, made this disclosure in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, while declaring open the training of enumerators for Nigerian Labour Force Survey (NLFS).Adeniran explained that one of the aims of the re-evaluation was to produce more labour market indicators and analysis that would inform government about the employment and job situation in the country.He added that the newly enhanced NLFS is expected to produce national figures on a quarterly basis with interesting labour market statistics.Adeniran, while addressing the participants at the training organised in conjunction with the World Bank, said that the NBS has been working with World Bank’s staff to design a new approach for the conduct of the NLFS survey in the country.He stated that a full state-level disaggregated report would be published at the end of the 12-months of data collection.He, however, cautioned that laxity and any other sharp practices would not be tolerated by the agency from the enumerators and supervisors on the field.  He said: “Many might not easily grasp the concept of GDP growth, inflation rate, or even poverty rate, or how the computation is done, but most if not all, will understand the concept of unemployment and what a rise or fall in the rate means, because it is highly relatable to their daily lives.“The aim of this re-evaluation was two-pronged, on one hand was to ensure that the design and methodology is in line with international best practice and locally relevant, and on the other hand, to ensure that a production process was robust enough to produce estimates on a sustainable basis (avoiding periodic gaps), and also, produce more labour market indicators and analysis that will inform government about the employment and job situation in Nigeria.  “Following the commissioning of this review, we have been working assiduously with staff of the World Bank to come up with a reliable and comprehensive process and design that will satisfy the need of all users, address concerns of quality, addresses questions on seasonality, reduce proxy responses, is cost-effective, and eliminates gaps in the series going forward.“To this end, we have designed a new approach for the conduct of the NLFS survey in Nigeria. This new approach involves a 12-month-long method of data collection, with a streamlined workforce, manageable sample size and an enhanced quality assurance mechanism built into the process.“The outcome of the review has brought about new additions to the instrument, capturing information on persons employed but not at work, long-term unemployment, Job satisfaction, discouraged job seekers, and information on decent work, which is one the indicators of the SDG l 8.“Accordingly, the management of the bureau working with World Bank thought it wise to bring all the field personnel selected for this exercise to one location for the training of enumerators. Being the maiden round using this approach, all efforts are geared towards ensuring that everything humanly possible is done to guarantee the quality of the results and realise the objectives of the exercise.“Therefore, given the enormous importance the NBS and indeed, the country, attaches to this exercise, and the amount of time and resources committed to the process thus far, I want to encourage and strongly urge you to take this assignment seriously. No laxity will be tolerated from anyone. Everyone is expected to follow all the laid down guidelines and protocols for the survey, so that we can have the best chance of realising the desired results.“This caution does not only go to the enumerators and supervisors on the field, but also to the monitors, data assistants and data editors working remotely on this exercise. It is only when we all play our respective roles that the right results and outcomes will be achieved for the country.”