The imperative of smart technology for timely release of official data for national development: a focus on Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics

This paper describes the imperative of information and communication technology for achieving timely release of official data for national development. Development planning remains a vital component of national development while timely release of official statistics to inform policy is key to effective and efficient planning. In this paper we therefore explore the imperatives of timely releases of official statistics through computer to computer communication (C2C) for national development by the apex national statistical institution in Nigeria. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is a statutory agency that anchors and warehouses all official statistics as well as the coordinator of Nigeria's National Statistical System. The paper reviews some of the periodic releases by the NBS and the dissemination mechanism using electronic and smart tools as a channel of using electronic transfer or electronic governance to make data communication convenient for both the data producer and user for national development. The paper also highlights the challenges of timely releases of data experienced by the NBS and the strategies put in place by the NBS to address these challenges. Finally, the paper also suggests policy recommendations for effective smart approach to data production and dissemination in Nigeria.