• Bagudu Atiku
• Kwarra
• Population Census

NIGERIA MOVES CLOSER TO FRESH CENSUS, PRESIDENT TINUBU TO SET UP COMMITTEE

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  CapitalTimesNews / 2 weeks
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• 3 min read

Nigeria took a step closer on Monday to conducting a new national population and housing census with biometric and digital components. The nation last held a census in November 2006. President Bola Tinubu, at a meeting at the Statehouse with officials of the National Population Commission (NPC), said he would set up a committee to align the census budget to the government’s present financial realities. Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, stated that President Tinubu emphasized the importance of accurate census data, saying “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 come up without accurate data”. President Tinubu reiterated his commitment to ensuring accurate and reliable figures from the national census to strengthen development planning and improve Nigerians’ living conditions through more efficient social security. He also noted that government incentives, such as the sale and distribution of fertilizers, could be easily improved with more reliable data and demographics. Bayo Onanuga stated that President Tinubu told the delegation that biometric capturing should be central to the process, with multiple identification features, including facial and voice recognition. The President emphasized the need for a definite path, saying “This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. So we better have a definite path. I will set up a committee for you to look at the issues critically and do a source and application of resources”. The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said the census data would be central to future planning and resource distribution. Onanuga noted that Bagudu stated the commission and the team need to agree on the minimum amount to source to support the President in making the final decision. NPC Chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra, said the last census took place in 2006, and 19 years later, the figures were no longer relevant in planning, particularly for key sectors that directly impact the population. Onanuga stated that Kwarra said 760,000 tablets had been acquired and stored with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), assuring the commission would engage with development partners to seek support whenever President Tinubu proclaimed the new census. Onanuga added that Bayo Onanuga stated the President’s commitment to the census, and the need for accurate data to drive development planning and improve the lives of Nigerians.