NPC Awaits President Tinubu’s Approval To Proceed With Census

NPC Awaits President Tinubu’s Approval To Proceed With Census

Seventeen months into his administration, President Bola Tinubu has yet to announce a date for Nigeria’s long-awaited National Population and Housing Census, raising concerns about national planning and governance.

The delay comes after former President Muhammadu Buhari postponed the 2023 census indefinitely, leaving the responsibility of setting a new date to his successor.

Despite pledging support for the census, Tinubu has yet to confirm when the exercise will take place, leaving key stakeholders anxious about the impact of further delays.

The last census in Nigeria was conducted in 2006, recording a population of 140 million.

Since then, the country has relied on estimated figures for policy decisions, which has left many concerned about data accuracy for resource allocation and representation.

The National Population Commission Chairman, Nasir Kwarra, revealed that about N200bn has already been spent on preparations, and the commission is equipped with over 760,000 digital devices to conduct the census.

In July 2024, the NPC proposed November 2024 for the census but is still awaiting presidential approval.

“At the beginning of the year, we wanted to conduct a census in November, but we are waiting for that nod. If that is given, we will swing into action and before the end of 2024, we will be able to conduct a very good census for Nigeria.

“We are still prepared. A lot of money has been spent. If you don’t use the equipment and the batteries go down, we risk losing many of these facilities,” Kwarra said during a press conference to mark World Population Day.

Experts on Friday warned that further delays could waste resources and impede critical national planning.

A former Federal Commissioner at the NPC and a professor of Geography, Professor Jimoh Isah, urged Tinubu to officially announce a date, stating that the commission is “99 per cent ready” to carry out the census.

“The critical issue is that the government should come out and make a sound pronouncement on when the census will be held this year because, to the best of my knowledge, the NPC is 99 per cent ready,” the Don said.

Also, a political analyst, Busari Dauda, criticised the delay, calling it a sign of “unseriousness” on the part of the government.