Tinubu announces plan to set up committee for Nigeria’s long-awaited census
On Monday, February 24, 2025, President Bola Tinubu revealed plans to form a committee that will align the proposed census with the government’s current financial situation.
This announcement came after a meeting with officials from the National Population Commission (NPC), led by Chairman Nasir Kwarra.
In a statement titled “Nigeria moves closer to fresh census,” the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, shared the challenges facing the NPC. He noted that Nigeria’s last census was conducted in November 2006, and since then, the census process has faced multiple delays due to issues such as inadequate funding, insecurity, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite investments in new technology, the exercise has struggled to move forward, and the 2023 census was postponed due to budget constraints and political transitions.
President Tinubu expressed frustration with the delays, stating, “This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. So we better have a definite path.” He committed to setting up a committee to critically assess the situation, focusing on resource allocation and potential sources of funding before proceeding with the census.
The President stressed the importance of conducting an accurate census to support his administration’s plans for employment, agriculture, and food sovereignty. “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,” he said.
Tinubu emphasized that reliable census data would play a crucial role in strengthening development planning and improving the living conditions of Nigerians.
