Nigeria has taken a significant step toward conducting a new national population and housing census, which will include biometric and digital components. The last census was held in November 2006.
President Bola Tinubu announced plans to set up a committee to align the census budget with the government’s current financial realities during a meeting with officials of the National Population Commission (NPC) at the State House on Monday. He emphasized the importance of accurate data for national planning and 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. So many problems arise without accurate data,” President Tinubu stated.
He reiterated his commitment to ensuring accurate and reliable figures from the census to strengthen development planning and improve Nigerians’ living conditions through more efficient social security programs. The President also stressed that biometric capturing, including facial and voice recognition, should be central to the census process.
NPC Chairman Highlights Need for Updated Data
NPC Chairman Nasir Isa Kwarra, who led the delegation, noted that the 2006 census figures are no longer relevant for planning, particularly in key sectors that directly impact the population. He assured that the commission has acquired 760,000 tablets stored with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and is ready to engage development partners for support once the census is proclaimed.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Emphasizes Census Importance
Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, highlighted the centrality of census data to future planning and resource distribution. He recalled President Tinubu’s commitment to the census during a retreat for ministers in 2023 and noted that funding remains a challenge.
“At the last Federal Executive Council meeting, you asked me what the problem was, and I told you it was simply an issue of lack of ability to fund the census. Even today, before this meeting, I called the NPC Chairman and restated your commitment to the census,” Bagudu said.
He added that 40% of the funding for the 2006 census came from development partners and emphasized the need to optimize available data from various sources, including the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and telecoms data.
Next Steps
President Tinubu directed the committee to critically review the census process, including funding sources and resource allocation, before making a final decision. He emphasized the need for a clear and sustainable plan to avoid the “stop-and-go” approach that has hindered previous efforts.
The fresh census is expected to provide accurate and up-to-date data essential for national development, resource allocation, and effective governance.
