MSMEs Survey: NBS Seeks Support as Officials Share Questionnaires

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr Yemi Kale, has urged all selected respondents to provide information for the ongoing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) survey in the country.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Head of Corporate and Public Affairs of NBS, Mr Sunday Ichedi, the stats office chief assured “all our respondents that all data collected will be treated with utmost confidentiality.”

The MSMEs survey is being carried out by the NBS in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to boost economic planning and development.

According to Mr Kale, the survey, the third round in its series, was aimed at generating evidence and policy-relevant information on nature and operations of MSMEs in Nigeria.

He said that information collected during this exercise would among other things, be useful in assessing the impact of government policies and programmes as it relates to MSMEs to determine their success or otherwise.

“In view of the importance of this survey to national development, NBS is appealing to all selected respondents to accurately supply the information sought after during this exercise.

“We assure all our respondents that all data collected will be treated with utmost confidentiality.

“The survey will be used solely for the purpose for which the survey is intended in accordance with the law as stipulated in the Statistical Act 2007.

“It will also help in designing further solutions and strategies to tackle challenges identified by operators within the sector and ascertain the level of employment and the sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” he explained.

Mr Kale disclosed that from July 19 to August 2, 2018, NBS and SMEDAN data collectors would be on the field to administer questionnaires.

He said that the data collectors would administer questionnaires to selected households and enterprises across the country in all the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT.

About 37 million MSMEs are believed to be in the country, contributing about 47.8 percent to Nigeria’s total GDP.