SG, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran with some participants at NLFS sensitization in Abuja.
Photo: Annabel Nwachukwu/Radio Nigeria
In a bid to produce data on employment that is relevant to present realities and reflective of the global outlook, the National Bureau of Statistics has reviewed the methodology for computing the Nigeria Labour Force Survey, NLFS.
The new methodology is in line with the guidelines adopted during the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) in Geneva in 2013.
The Statistician General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran made this known at the 2nd Sensitization Workshop for Stakeholders on the Redesigned Nigeria Labour Force Survey held in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the Bureau would review the methodology for GDP, Inflation, Trade and Labour Force Statistics.
‘’So far, work has been completed in the National Business Sample Census (NBSC) and the Listing of the National Agriculture Sample Census (NASC), both of which were last conducted 27 and 30 years ago, respectively. These two censuses are major inputs into the rebasing of the GDP’’.
‘’Additionally, the Nigerian Living Standard Survey (NLSS) which was published in 2020 and serves as input into the ongoing rebasing of the Consumer Prices Index, which we expect to complete by the end of the year’’, Prince Adeniran said.
The SG said the new approach explained the concepts of Labour Force; unemployment and underemployment.
‘’the new definition of the labour force consists of anyone from the age of 15 years and above, that is willing, available, and able to work. This is a change from the old definition with was those aged between 15 and 64 that are willing, available, and able to work during the reference period of 7 days.
Definition of Unemployed – the new definition of unemployed person, is any one within the Labour force, who within the reference period, (previous 7 days) did not work for a minimum of 1 hour. This is a significant change from the old definition, were to qualify to be employed, a person needed to have worked for a minimum of 20 hours within the reference period.
Definition of Under-employed – Under the old definition, a person is considered Under-employed if he or she worked between 20 and 39 hour within the reference period of a week. Under the new definition, however, anyone working under 40 hours, that is 1 to 39 hours a week, and is willing to accept more hours of work is considered Under-employed’’, the SG explained.
For the Lead Economist, World Bank, Utz Pape, aside from producing data that meets international standards, the new methodology would produce more labour market indicators that will inform government policies.
Dr Yacouba Diallo, Principal Statistician, ILO, Dakar Office in a presentation said before the 19th ICLS, the last review was done in 1982 during the 13th ICLS to address its limitation on the definition of work.
”Work, by definition is productive activities paid and unpaid. There are different forms of work and employment is one’’.
‘’ We will see one of the criteria to define employment when we refer to this new framework is that it should be provided for pay or for profit’’, he said.
The workshop had in attendance, representatives of development partners from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the academia, media among others.
Writing by Samuel Adeyinka; Editing by Annabel Nwachukwu