President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a committee on the forthcoming national population and housing census.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga announced this in a statement on Wednesday.
Onanuga said the committee was expected to submit an interim report within three weeks.
President Tinubu who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the inauguration ceremony held at the State House in Abuja, said the census was crucial for national development, accurate planning, and effective decision-making in healthcare, education, security, and economic planning.
He emphasised the critical role of a technology-driven process in ensuring credible and verifiable results and the need for collaboration among all relevant agencies and stakeholders.
He further urged the committee members to look at domestic and even international resources to finance the exercise.
“Work with all relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. This ministry has to take charge of this because you cannot budget if you do not know how many of us there 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 has to be technology-driven with biometrics and digitalisation,” he said.
On his part, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Population and Housing Census, assured the President that the committee will deliver its report within the three-week deadline.
Bagudu recalled Tinubu’s advice to ministers during their retreat in 2023, urging them to think creatively and work with the resources available, even under harsh economic conditions.
The Chairman informed that despite global economic challenges, Nigeria was making steady progress under President Tinubu’s leadership, citing improved foreign exchange stability and a positive growth trajectory.
He said the committee will recommend practical solutions, including strategies for mobilising domestic and international resources to fund the census.
The National Population Commission Chairman, Nasir Kwarra and Secretary to the committee said the commission had already begun preparations for the national population and housing census in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and other relevant stakeholders.
Kwarra stated that the focus had 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.
He assured Nigerians that the National Population Commission remains committed to ensuring a credible, technology-driven enumeration that will support effective national planning and development.
The eight-member committee is made up of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission, the Principal Secretary to the President, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Operations (Office of the Chief of Staff).
