President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, gave the National Census Committee Three-week deadline to submit an interim report for the scheduled 2025 exercise.
This was as the President directed that the 2025 Census must be technology driven with biometrics and digitalisation.
President Tinubu, who gave the directive while inaugurating a high-level committee on the forthcoming national population and housing census, noted that things have changed since the last time the country conducted the census exercise.
The President who was represented at the inauguration which took place at the State House, Presidential Villa, by his Chief of Staff, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila,
Tinubu noted that census is crucial for national development, accurate planning, and effective decision-making in healthcare, education, security, and economic planning.
Nigeria’s last census was conducted in 2006, nearly two decades ago and it recorded a population of 140,431,790, with 71,345,488 males and 69,086,302 females.
While inaugurating that committee, Tinubu 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.
Underscoring the critical financing factor in the exercise, President Tinubu enjoined members of the committee to look at domestic and even international resources.
The President said; “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.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator 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.
Bagudu recalled President Tinubu’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.
The minister noted that despite global economic challenges, Nigeria is making steady progress under President Tinubu’s leadership, citing improved foreign exchange stability and a positive growth trajectory.
Bagudu said; “The committee will recommend practical solutions, including strategies for mobilising domestic and international resources to fund the census”.
Speaking in turn, the Minister of Information and National Orientaion, Muhammed Idris, who is also a member of the committee, said that accurate data is critical for planning across all sectors and that a credible census is the foundation for such data.
In his own remarks, the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Isa Kwarra, who will also 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.
Kwarra said 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.
He assured Nigerians that the National Population Commission remains committed to ensuring a credible, technology-driven enumeration that will support effective national planning and development.
The eight-member committee include the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Principal Private Secretary to the President, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Operations (Office of the Chief of Staff).
