President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday inaugurated a high-level committee on the forthcoming national population and housing census.

The President tasked the committee to submit an interim report within three weeks, the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement.

The President said the census was crucial for national development, accurate planning, and effective decision-making in healthcare, education, security, and economic planning.

Nigeria’s last census, which was conducted in2006, nearly two decades ago, recorded a population of 140,431,790, with 71,345,488 males and 69,086,302 females.

Mr 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.

Highlighting the role of finances as a factor in the exercise, he enjoined the members to look at domestic and even international resources.

He stated, “Work with all relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. This ministry must take charge of this because you cannot budget if you do not know how many we are. We expect you will touch on the technology area because the census must be technology-driven. Things have changed since the last time that we conducted this exercise. The enumeration must be technology-driven with biometrics and digitalisation.’’

Mr Tinubu was represented at the event at the State House, Abuja, by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

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 would deliver its report within the three-week deadline.

The minister recalled Mr Tinubu’s advice to ministers during their retreat in2023, urging them to think creatively and work with the resources available, even under harsh economic conditions.

Mr Bagudu noted that despite global economic challenges, Nigeria was making steady progress under Mr Tinubu’s leadership, citing improved foreign exchange stability and a growth trajectory.

He said the committee would recommend practical solutions, including strategies for mobilising domestic and international resources to fund the census.

The Minister of Information and committee member, Muhammed Idris, emphasised that accurate data was critical for planning across all sectors and that a credible census was the foundation for such data.

Also, the National Population Commission Chairman and secretary of the committee. Nasir Kwarra said that the commission had already begun preparations for the census in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders.

According to him, 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.

Mr Kwarra assured Nigerians that the National Population Commission remained committed to ensuring a credible, technology-driven enumeration that would support effective national planning and development.

The eight-member committee also includes the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the Economy, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, and the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission.
Others are 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).

(NAN)