President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring Nigeria conducts a reliable and accurate national population and housing census. He stressed that biometric and digital technology must be incorporated to determine the country’s true population.
Speaking on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a meeting with officials from the National Population Commission (NPC), Tinubu noted that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) must be involved in the census process.
“We must ascertain who we are, how many we are, and how to manage our data. Without an accurate census, we cannot successfully plan for employment, agriculture, and food sovereignty. Many problems arise without accurate data,” the President said in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.
Nigeria has not conducted a national census since November 2006, making it difficult for authorities to plan effectively for development and resource allocation. Tinubu stressed that this long gap must be addressed, as outdated figures hinder proper governance.
To move forward, the President announced plans to form a committee that will review the census budget and align it with the government’s financial capacity before seeking additional funding from development partners.
“This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. We need a definite path. I will set up a committee to critically examine the issues, assess our resources, and determine what we can fund before seeking external support,” Tinubu stated.
He also noted that biometric capturing should be a key aspect of the census, using multiple identification features such as facial and voice recognition. According to him, having accurate demographic data would improve government programs, including the distribution of resources like fertilizers to farmers.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, reaffirmed the President’s commitment to the census, explaining that accurate data is essential for effective governance. He stated that the delay in the census was mainly due to funding challenges but assured that the NPC and other stakeholders were working to determine the minimum amount needed for the exercise.
“At the 2023 ministers’ retreat, Mr. President reiterated his commitment to the census. In fact, at the last Federal Executive Council meeting, he asked me about the delay, and I explained that it was due to funding constraints. However, the NPC and all stakeholders must determine the minimum amount required to support Mr. President in making a final decision,” Bagudu said.
He further noted that in the 2006 census, development partners contributed about 40% of the total funding. Efforts are ongoing to integrate identity management agencies such as the NPC, NIMC, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Ministry of Digital Economy, the passport registry, the social register, the voter register, telecoms data, and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).
NPC Chairman Nasir Isa Kwarra noted the urgency of conducting the census, stating that 19 years had passed since the last one, making the current population estimates unreliable for planning. He revealed that 760,000 tablets had already been acquired and securely stored with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in preparation for the exercise.
He assured that once President Tinubu officially announces the new census, the commission would begin engaging with development partners to secure the necessary support.
