The Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a high-level committee which will submit an interim report within three weeks on the forthcoming national population and housing census
Penpushing reports that Tinubu inaugurating the committee on Wednesday said the census is crucial for national development, accurate planning, and effective decision-making in healthcare, education, security, and economic planning.
The President stressed the pivotal role of a technology-driven process in ensuring credible and verifiable results and the need for collaboration among all relevant agencies and stakeholders, and while underscoring the critical financing factor in the exercise, enjoined the members to look at domestic and even international resources.
“Work with all relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. This ministry has to take charge of this because you cannot budget if you do not know how many we are’, he stated
“We expect you will touch on the technology area because the census must be technology-driven. Things have changed since the last time that we conducted this exercise. The enumeration has to be technology-driven with biometrics and digitalisation,” he added.
Penpushing further reports that Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, who chairs the Presidential Committee on Population and Housing Census, assured the president that the committee will deliver its report within the three-week deadline.
The minister recalled the President’s advice to ministers during their retreat in 2003, urging them to think creatively and work with the resources available, even under harsh economic conditions.
Penpushing also reports that Bagudu pointed out that despite global economic challenges, Nigeria is making steady progress under Tinubu’s leadership, citing improved foreign exchange stability and a positive growth trajectory.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, added that the committee will recommend practical solutions, including strategies for mobilising domestic and international resources to fund the census.
Penpushing reports that on his own part, Minister of Information, Muhammed Idris, also a committee member, emphasised that accurate data is critical for planning across all sectors and that a credible census is the foundation for such data.
The Chairman National Population Commission (NPC) Nasir Kwarra, who will serve as the committee secretary, said the commission has already begun preparations for the national population and housing census in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and other relevant stakeholders.
Penpushing further reports that he explained that, the focus has been on identifying key requirements and laying the groundwork necessary for the President to make an informed decision on the actual conduct of the census.
The Minister assured Nigerians that the National Population Commission (NPC) remains committed to ensuring a credible, technology-driven enumeration that will support effective national planning and development.
Penpushing also reports that the eight-member committee also includes Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Principal Secretary to the President, and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Operations (Office of the Chief of Staff).
Meanwhile, it is recalled that Nigeria’s last census was in 2006, nearly two decades ago, which recorded a population of 140,431,790, with 71,345,488 males and 69,086,302 females.
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