Breaking: Tinubu Moves To Conduct Fresh National Census, Sets Up Special Committee

Speaking on Monday during a meeting with officials of the National Population Commission (NPC) at the State House, Tinubu emphasized the need for an accurate population count to aid national planning and development.

Nigeria’s last population and housing census was conducted in November 2006.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu insisted that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) must be involved in the census review process.

“We need to determine who we are, how many we are, and how to manage our data effectively. Without a precise census, planning for employment, agriculture, and food security will remain challenging. Many issues arise due to a lack of accurate data,” Tinubu stated.

The President reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the census produces reliable and verifiable data to enhance development planning and improve the welfare of Nigerians through more effective social programs.

During the meeting, NPC Chairman Nasir Isa Kwarra and other officials briefed Tinubu on the commission’s readiness for the exercise. The President stressed that government initiatives, such as fertilizer distribution and other incentives, would be more efficiently managed with reliable demographic data.

He also underscored the importance of biometric technology in the census process, incorporating multiple identification features such as facial and voice recognition.

“We must strengthen our financial capacity before approaching development partners for support. This ‘stop-and-go’ approach to the census won’t work with me. We need a clear and well-defined plan. I will set up a committee to thoroughly examine the issues, identify funding sources, and determine what we can cover before seeking external assistance,” Tinubu added.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, highlighted the critical role census data would play in future planning and resource allocation.

“At a ministerial retreat in 2023, Mr. President reaffirmed his commitment to the census. Even at the last Federal Executive Council meeting, he asked about the delay, and I explained that it was mainly due to funding challenges,” Bagudu said.

He further revealed that 40% of the funding for the 2006 census came from development partners and that ongoing meetings among relevant agencies, including the NPC, NIMC, NBS, and NASRDA, were focused on optimizing available data.

In his presentation, NPC Chairman Kwarra emphasized that the 19-year gap since the last census has made previous figures obsolete, especially for sectors directly impacting the population.

He disclosed that 760,000 tablets had already been procured and stored with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and assured that the commission would engage development partners for additional support once Tinubu officially declares the new census.