Posted Fri, Jun 9, 2023 9:33 AM

Book Review - Nigeria in Figures: A Socio Economic Data book

Nigeria in Figures: A Socio-Economic Data Book is a reference to guide the measurement and assessment of Nigeria’s performance over time. Specifically, the book presents a comprehensive list of indicators measuring Nigeria’s socioeconomic performance since 1999 at the National, Regional and State levels. It provides evidence-based inputs into the discussions, analysis and planning by policymakers, researchers, businesses and other key stakeholders in Nigeria. 

The book is divided into five (5) broad parts, including Overview of Key Developments in Nigeria Since 1999; National Figures; Regional Figures; State Figures; Performance Scorecard.

• Overview of Key Developments in Nigeria Since 1999 provides a general background on Nigeria, including its demographic profile, system of government, and political history. This part provides an overview of the country’s public administration, economic growth and development, infrastructure and financing, human capital and social development. It also highlights challenges in these areas and discusses significant transformational developments the country has undergone since 1999.
  
   
• National Figures presents charts and data on various sectors/segments of Nigeria at the national and federal government levels. It examines the extent to which the available figures and statistics of the country reflect the country’s challenges, government policies and interventions.
  
  The National Figures are further disaggregated into fourteen (14) sections, including Output & Prices; Government Finance; International Trade & Finance; Financial Sector; Land, Housing & Sanitation; Transportation Infrastructure; Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure; Energy & Environment; Industrialisation & Business Competitiveness; Education; Health; Peace & Security; Governance, Institutions & Corruption; Citizens’ Livelihood & Welfare.
  
  It shows the evolution and structure of various national and federal government performance indicators since 1999. Each section provides a background description of the status of the relevant indicators, key developments, policies and challenges around the indicators of interest. Each section contains insights that summarise the trend and structure of presented charts. For each indicator examined, attempts are made to highlight Nigeria’s relative position among selected comparator countries.  A composite score summarizing the performance of the sectors/segments of the country is also generated.
   
• Regional Figures presents charts and statistics on various sectors/segments of Nigeria’s six (6) geo-political zones. The figures and insights are broken down into twelve (12) sectors of the regional economy.  
   
• State Figures presents available data at the State level in charts and data on various sectors/segments of Nigeria’s thirty-six (36) states and the Federal Capital Territory. The figures and insights are also divided according to twelve (12) sectors/segments of the states’ economy, like those generated at the regional level.
   
• Performance Scorecard presents the evolution and structure of several socio-economic indicators in Nigeria, showing a combination of good and poor performances. In this part of the book, the trend of all these indicators is combined to generate a composite score summarizing the performance of the sectors of the country. The scorecard gives the reader a snapshot of Nigeria’s socio-economic performance since 1999. The scorecard’s computation is based on each indicator’s trend over the entire period (usually from 1999 to 2022), over the last three (3) years of available data, and compared against those of selected comparator countries. This part of the book describes the methodology for determining the scorecards.
   

  The key features of the data book make it unique given that it:

• • is being launched at a time when data is becoming central in our lives;
  • provides critical data for effective planning and management of resources;
  • examines Nigeria’s socio-economic performance since 1999;
  • brings relevant data from multiple sources and formats together into a single document, addressing some of the challenges faced with unavailable and fragmented data in the country;
  • presents, in a comprehensive manner, data at the National, Regional and State levels;
  • describes the developments, challenges and policies of different sectors;
  • shows the relative performance of Nigeria against selected comparator countries;
  • employs simple and attractive charts and illustrations for clear understanding; 
  • provides detailed sources and description of relevant data; and
  • gives insights on how to interpret the figures and charts.
    
    The book provides a comprehensive overview of key indicators at the macroeconomic and sub-national levels. Furthermore, the book’s insights aid in understanding the figures and charts presented. The book is suitable for a range of audiences including policymakers, politicians, researchers, development institutions, among others. The reader will find this book valuable in assessing socio-economic development in Nigeria.