The World Bank and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in partnership with the Delta State Government, have launched a capacity-building workshop for statisticians to improve the compilation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The three-day training, which opened on Monday in Asaba, was designed to provide reliable economic data that will guide government policies, household planning, and organisational decision-making.
Nkechi Maduemezia, the State Director of Statistics, explained that the programme would also review the rebasing of the price reference period to ensure data reflects current realities.
While addressing participants, she stressed that the training focused on equipping statisticians with global best practices and new techniques in CPI computation.
She added that the CPI remains an important economic indicator that mirrors inflationary pressures and the spending patterns of citizens.
Maduemezia applauded the World Bank and NBS for spearheading the initiative, noting that 25 statisticians benefited from the exercise.
A resource person, Mrs. Nkem Musa, highlighted that the workshop was aimed at ensuring consistency in CPI concepts and methodology.
According to her, the CPI is vital for monitoring inflation, setting socio-economic and monetary policies, determining wage adjustments, and formulating price stability measures.
The session also covered modern approaches such as the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP), as well as methods for conducting household expenditure surveys before finalising the CPI basket.
Through the training, organisers expressed confidence that statisticians in Delta State would be better equipped to generate credible data that meets both local and international standar