President Bola Tinubu has turned down the proposed N942 billion budget for the upcoming national population and housing census. Sources familiar with the discussions revealed that the President believes the amount is too high and has called for measures to cut costs.
During a meeting on February 24, 2025, at the State House, Tinubu met with officials from the National Population Commission (NPC), led by its Chairman, Nasir Kwarra. The President reportedly suggested using members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to help reduce personnel expenses. He also announced plans to set up a committee to review the census budget and align it with the government’s financial situation.
Tinubu made it clear that he does not support delays or uncertainty in conducting the census. “This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. So, we better have a definite path,” he stated. He also stressed the importance of properly assessing financial resources before seeking external support, saying, “We should work on our financial muscle well in place to lift our burden before we go and meet development partners for the census.”
An official who spoke on the condition of anonymity explained that while the President is committed to holding the census, he wants it done at a lower cost. “The main issue from that meeting was that the money they were proposing was quite much. It is around N942bn. That is almost N1tn. And the President felt that it was too much,” the source said.
Another source disclosed that Tinubu suggested deploying NYSC members nationwide as census workers. “He was even suggesting that they recruit youth corps members to make it cheaper,” the source noted.
Although Tinubu announced the creation of a committee to review the budget, the details of its members and operations remain unclear. A source said, “We have heard nothing about that committee for now. It is still being put together as we speak. But the agencies concerned will be on it.”
The President also stated that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) must be involved in the process, noting that accurate population data is essential for planning in areas such as employment, agriculture, and national development. “We must ascertain who we are, how many we are, and how to manage our data. Without an accurate census, we can’t successfully plan for employment, agriculture, and food sovereignty,” he said.
Tinubu also pointed out that a reliable census would help improve government programs, such as fertilizer distribution. He suggested that biometric data, including facial and voice recognition, should be central to the process to ensure accuracy.
Nigeria’s last population census took place in November 2006. Since then, several attempts to conduct another have been delayed due to financial constraints, security concerns, and logistical issues. The most recent attempt in 2023 was postponed due to overlapping budget concerns and political transitions.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, noted that census data is critical for national planning and resource allocation. He stated that government agencies are working together to determine the minimum budget needed for the exercise. “Mr President, we have been having ecosystem meetings to link the identity agencies, even the geo-spatial chaired by the ministry, because of our mandate as the supervising ministry of the National Bureau of Statistics,” Bagudu said.
NPC Chairman Nasir Kwarra also confirmed that the commission had already acquired 760,000 tablets for the census and stored them with the Central Bank of Nigeria. He assured that the commission would continue engaging development partners to secure additional support when the government officially announces the new census date.
