By Adedapo Adesanya
An Abuja-based think-tank, Africa Polling Institute, has disclosed that it will collaborate with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to collect data on people living with disabilities in the country.
This was disclosed by Mr Bell Ihua, the Executive Director of the research institute in a statement signed by Head of Corporate Services, Mrs Amarachi Charles, on Friday in Abuja.
The executive director, who led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the NBS, said that the collaboration was important in order to achieve the Nigeria Disability Project.
According to Mr Ihua, the project is aimed at gathering evidence-based data on gender and people living with disabilities in the country.
“The Nigeria Disability Project is a new development effort led by the Africa Polling Institute, which is aimed at gathering evidence-based disaggregated gender and disability data in the country.
“We are excited at this opportunity of collaborating with the NBS on this project, which is supported by Ford Foundation.
‘’I believe this will be the first of more collaborations between both organisations,” he said.
In his speech, Mr Simon Harry, Director, Corporate Planning and Technical Coordination at NBS expressed the bureau’s readiness to work with the institute.
“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,” he said.
API is an independent, non-profit and non-partisan opinion research think-tank that conducts opinion polls, surveys, social research and evaluation studies at the intersection of democracy, governance, economic conditions and public life; in order to support better public policy, practice and advocacy in Africa.