Kehinde Fajobi
The administration of President Bola Tinubu has launched the Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) through the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The initiative aims to provide accurate, data-driven insights on crime and security across Nigeria.
Daniel Bwala, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communications, disclosed this in a statement titled “Ensuring Data Transparency: Tinubu Govt Debuts with CESPS” on Wednesday.
He explained, “The concept seeks to ensure that information rolled out to the public is data-driven.”
Crime Data Breakdown
The CESPS 2024 report detailed crime incidents across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to the findings, the North West recorded the highest number of incidents at 14.4 million, while the South East reported the lowest at 6.2 million.
Bwala stated, “The report released by the NBS is a pointer to the several efforts of the current administration in addressing the security challenges ubiquitous in the country.
“Unlike 2023, where crime incidences were pronounced high, the 2024 report largely revealed the synergy between all relevant security architectures of the country.”
He noted significant improvements in tackling kidnapping in the South, armed banditry in the North, and activities of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Bwala also highlighted the arrest of Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based instigator of violence in the South East, as a major achievement.
“Nigerians have seen fewer school attacks in the outgoing year, contrary to what was obtainable in recent years. This, no doubt, further lends credence to the fight against crime by the current administration,” he added.
Inflation and Food Security
The report also addressed inflation, attributing a slight increase to recent floods in northern states such as Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe. Bwala explained, “The flood, with its concomitant effect, would naturally shoot up prices of goods.”
In response, the Federal Government has released 2.1 million bags of fertilisers, N30bn to Federal Universities of Agriculture, and truckloads of rice to all 36 states.
The administration also partnered with the World Bank to allocate $600m for repairing 200,000km of rural roads to boost food production and transportation.
“These measures are geared towards addressing food insecurity, the result of which is expected to manifest in the coming months,” Bwala said.
Bwala further highlighted economic progress under Tinubu’s leadership, including reducing the debt-to-equity ratio from 97:3 to 68:32 within one year, paying off ₦7bn in forex arrears, and increasing foreign reserves to over $40bn.
“These efforts are geared towards redirecting the entire governance architecture for a more robust and thriving economy that will benefit all and sundry,” he stated.