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Nigeria Moves Closer To Conducting New National Census as Tinubu Plans Review Committee

Nigeria is moving closer to conducting a new national population and housing census, which will feature biometric and digital components, with President Bola Tinubu setting the stage for a major review of the census process. This follows a meeting held with officials of the National Population Commission (NPC) at the State House.

Nigeria’s last national census took place in November 2006, and President Tinubu stressed the importance of an accurate census for effective planning, stating that accurate data was crucial for addressing challenges in employment, agriculture, food security, and overall governance. He emphasized that the census process must be aligned with the government’s current financial capabilities and that it must be based on biometric data collection, including facial and voice recognition technologies.

To address this, President Tinubu revealed plans to set up a committee to align the census budget with the nation’s financial realities. He also pointed out that without an accurate population count, Nigeria’s development planning would be hampered. This is especially significant for government programs such as the distribution of fertilizers and other social incentives, which rely on demographic data for efficient implementation.

The NPC Chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra, along with other commission members, briefed the President on the progress made so far. In response, President Tinubu emphasized that the government needed to have a clear path forward with secure funding before engaging development partners for external support. He also called for the formation of a committee to explore funding sources and optimize resources for the census.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, further elaborated that census data would play a key role in resource distribution and national planning. Bagudu noted that 40% of the funding for the 2006 census came from development partners, and similar support would be needed this time around. He emphasized that the planning process had already begun, with the involvement of various agencies such as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the Ministry of Digital Economy, as well as telecommunications and electoral bodies.

The NPC has already made significant preparations, acquiring 760,000 tablets for the census, which are currently stored with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Kwarra reassured the President that the commission would continue engaging with development partners to ensure the success of the upcoming census once it is officially proclaimed.

With this new push for a census, the Tinubu administration is aiming to use the data for comprehensive national development, ensuring that future planning is based on accurate and up-to-date demographic information.

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