Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has emphasized the need for Nigeria’s Population and Housing Census to be conducted this year, warning that delaying the exercise until 2026 could be impractical due to preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by officials of the National Population Commission (NPC), Abbas commended President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to a biometric-based census, stressing its potential to eliminate reliance on outdated population estimates.
“We must ensure the census takes place this year because, by 2026, election campaigns will take precedence. Many believe Nigeria’s population is overestimated, given low voter turnout and school enrollment figures that contradict existing projections,” Abbas stated.
Expressing concern over delays in conducting the census, he highlighted the resulting data gaps and pledged to engage with President Tinubu to prioritize the exercise. He noted that as a former legislator, Tinubu respects the National Assembly, expressing optimism that such engagement would facilitate the census this year.
The Speaker also underscored the importance of securing adequate funding for the NPC, assuring the Commission of the House of Representatives’ support. While acknowledging that the 2025 budgetary allocation for the NPC may be insufficient, he expressed confidence that alternative funding sources could be explored with the necessary political will.
NPC Chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra, appealed to the National Assembly for financial support to ensure the successful execution of the 2025 Population and Housing Census. He reaffirmed that the upcoming census would be biometric-based, aligning with international best practices and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Kwarra outlined the Commission’s progress in preparations for the census, originally scheduled for 2023. Key achievements include the completion of Enumeration Area Demarcation across all 774 local government areas, development of a National Enumeration Area Frame, launch of a digital recruitment platform for ad-hoc staff, and procurement of 760,000 Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) for data collection. Additionally, a Census Situation Room has been set up for real-time monitoring of census activities.
