Abstract

Large-scale population-representative household and labour force surveys conducted by National Statistical Offices (NSOs) provide critical evidence use to monitor development progress, design policies, and report on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ensuring that such data remain comparable over time and across places requires deliberate efforts at harmonization from survey design and questionnaire development to post-collection activities. This paper examines the experience of Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics in designing, producing, and disseminating labour force survey data within its broader household survey system. It outlines the survey lifecycle, covering data collection objectives, methodological approaches for ensuring data quality, data management and documentation practices, and strategies for public access and usability. Particular attention is given to how NBS balances continuity of key labour market indicators with changing national priorities, the opportunities and challenges encountered in harmonizing survey content over time, and the steps taken to ensure that data remain relevant for country planning while also being comparable for research and policy analysis. The paper concludes with lessons learned and recommendations for strengthening harmonization, data management, and dissemination of official statistics in Nigeria.