President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated a Presidential Committee on the National Population and Housing Census, mandating it to submit an interim report within three weeks.
The committee is expected to map out a viable pathway for the long-overdue census exercise, last conducted in 2006.
Speaking at the inauguration held at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, President Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, emphasized the critical role of the census in driving evidence-based policy decisions across key sectors such as healthcare, education, security, and economic planning.
“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 digitalization,” President Tinubu was quoted to have said in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday.
The President tasked the committee with exploring innovative funding strategies, including both domestic and international resources, to support the census project.
He also directed all relevant agencies—especially the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning—to take ownership of the process, underscoring that the census must be a cross-sectoral, technology-backed national priority.
Why this matters
Nigeria’s last census was conducted nearly two decades ago in 2006, recording a population of 140,431,790.
With current population estimates nearing 220 million, a credible and updated population figure is seen as vital for accurate fiscal planning, infrastructure development, and social service delivery.
The committee’s composition
The eight-member Presidential Committee on the Census is chaired by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu. Other members include:
- The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun
- The Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)
- The Director General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)
- The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris
- The Principal Secretary to the President
- The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Operations
- The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Isa Kwarra, who will serve as Secretary
Senator Bagudu, in his remarks, assured the President that the committee would meet its three-week deadline.
He reaffirmed the commitment to designing a practical roadmap for the census, including a detailed resource mobilisation strategy and recommendations for leveraging technology in the enumeration process.
Bagudu also recalled the President’s earlier charge to ministers during their 2023 retreat to “think creatively” and work with the resources available, even under harsh economic conditions.
NPC outlines progress so far
NPC Chairman Nasir Isa Kwarra disclosed that the Commission has already commenced technical preparations in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and other stakeholders. These include identifying resource gaps, building capacity, and reviewing existing frameworks needed for a credible population and housing enumeration.
Kwarra assured Nigerians of the Commission’s readiness to deliver a transparent, inclusive, and technology-driven census, with a focus on real-time data collection and verification mechanisms.
