Elago Shipanga
The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) last week launched a pilot of the Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey (NHIES) at Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa region. The survey being piloted in the eight of the 14 regions commenced on 30 September, and is scheduled to conclude on 20 October 2024.
It aims to identify and address potential challenges, refining the questionnaire to ensure it captures relevant data accurately, and make sure that NSA is prepared for the full survey, scheduled for March 2025 until March 2026.
Speaking at the launch and signing of the oath of secrecy by 32 field interviewers, Otjozondjupa regional governor James Uerikua called on the interviewers to carry out their duties in a professional manner, and collect quality data to aid government plan better.
“We need accurate and timely statistics to create the right path, make informed decisions, and steer our nation towards prosperity. In just a few days, from the 30th of September to the 20th of October 2024, we will be conducting the Namibia Household Income and Expenditures Survey, which is an important survey. The aim of this survey is to collect essential data on income, consumption, poverty and inequality in our country. This information forms the bedrock of our national development plans. It is vital to understand that this survey is not just any ordinary one. It is the only one that provides us with such comprehensive data on poverty, inequality and others. This makes it indispensable for policy formulation, and the effective planning of resources. Without these statistics, we would be navigating the waters of development blindly, and you will agree with me that this is clearly not the way forward.” said Uerikua.
The main study that will run for 12 months from March next year is the fifth Namibia Household Income & Expenditure Survey (NHIES), which is the primary source of information on domestic income and expenditure, instrumental in calculating poverty and inequality indicators. The data is used in planning and monitoring of development programmes and projects.
The NHIES is usually conducted after every five years, and its main objectives are to collect data necessary for understanding Namibia’s household income and expenditure patterns, as well as measure poverty and inequality conditions. However, the last survey was conducted 10 years ago due to a lack of funds and the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The pilot survey will be carried out in eight regions, which includes Erongo, Hardap, Kavango West, Khomas, Kunene, Omaheke, Omusati and the Zambezi region, for 20 days. These regions, and specific areas, were randomly chosen, and the purpose is to test in different areas and terrains to help NSA prepare for the actual survey adequately.
*Elago Shipanga is an information officer for the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in the Otjozondjupa region.