Nigeria took a step closer to conducting a national population and housing census with biometric and digital components, nearly two decades after the last census in November 2006.
President Bola Tinubu, during a meeting at the State House on Monday, February 24, 2025, with officials of the National Population Commission (NPC), announced plans to establish a committee to align the census budget with the government’s current financial realities.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, indicated that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) must be part of the review process.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The president emphasized his commitment to ensuring accurate and reliable census figures to support development planning and enhance social security measures for Nigerians.
NPC Chairman Nasir Isa Kwarra, along with other commission members, briefed the president on preparations for the census. Tinubu highlighted that reliable demographic data would improve government interventions, including fertilizer distribution and other economic incentives.
He also stressed the need for biometric capturing to be central to the process, incorporating multiple identification features such as facial and voice recognition.
“We should ensure our financial capacity is well-structured before approaching development partners for support. This stop-and-go approach to the census cannot continue. We need a clear, definite plan. I will set up a committee to critically assess the financial needs, determine available resources, and explore potential assistance before making any official proclamation,” Tinubu stated.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, reaffirmed the importance of census data for national planning and resource allocation.
“At a retreat for ministers in 2023, Mr. President reiterated his commitment to the census. In fact, at the last Federal Executive Council meeting, you asked me about the delay, and I explained it was due to funding challenges,” Bagudu said.
He noted that 40 per cent of the funding for the 2006 census came from development partners and that discussions were ongoing to determine the minimum financial requirement for the exercise.
Bagudu also highlighted collaborative efforts between key agencies, including the NPC, NIMC, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Ministry of Digital Economy, and other institutions, to optimize available data sources for the government.
In his remarks, NPC Chairman Kwarra emphasized the urgent need for a new census, stating that the 19-year-old data from 2006 was no longer adequate for effective planning.
He disclosed that 760,000 tablets had been acquired and stored at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in preparation for the exercise, adding that the commission would engage development partners for additional support once President Tinubu formally proclaimed the census.
