President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set the wheels in motion for Nigeria’s long-delayed national population and housing census, inaugurating a high-powered committee and giving it just three weeks to deliver an interim report.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, emphasised the urgent need for accurate demographic data to inform national development, resource allocation, and policy planning.
The last census, which was last held in 2006, recorded over 140 million Nigerians. Nearly two decades later, the President is pushing for a modern, verifiable count that reflects Nigeria’s current population reality.
The newly inaugurated Presidential Committee on Population and Housing Census will be chaired by Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu.
He assured the President that the committee is ready to deliver within the three-week deadline.
Bagudu noted that despite economic constraints, the administration remains focused on reforms and data-driven planning. He said the committee will explore both domestic and international funding sources to ensure the census is successfully executed.
Minister of Information Muhammed Idris, also a committee member, highlighted the foundational role of accurate census data in national development. “You can’t plan effectively without knowing who and where the people are,” he said.
Nasir Isa Kwarra, Chairman of the National Population Commission and Secretary of the committee, said groundwork has already begun, with attention on digital infrastructure and inter-agency coordination. He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to a credible, tech-enabled enumeration.
The eight-member committee also includes the Minister of Finance, the FIRS Chairman, the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission, the Principal Private Secretary to the President, and the Senior Special Assistant on Administration and Operations in the Office of the Chief of Staff.
The committee’s interim report is expected within three weeks, paving the way for the country’s first census in nearly 20 years.
