Recession exit report not doctored – Kale

The National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday said that its Gross Domestic Product report which showed that Nigeria exited recession in the second quarter was not politically motivated.

The Statistician-General for the Federation and Chief Executive, NBS, Dr Yemi Kale stated this during a chat with journalists in Abuja.



Kale explained that the NBS is an agency of government that has the independence to carry out survey and publish its findings based on international best practices.

The NBS boss faulted those making claims that the outcome of the report may have been influenced by political considerations, adding that none of the reports of the agency is influenced politically.

Kale said even at the risk of not being reappointed at the tail end of his tenure, economic reports that were not in favour of government activities were published by the agency, adding that if he didn’t doctor the report then, there was no basis to do so now.

He said, “In this administration, I am the one that published that we are in recession, and I am also the one that is saying, we are now out of recession.”