- Says NIMC Must Be Part of Process
President Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment towards ensuring accurate and reliable data for effective development planning and improved social security.
Tinubu said this as the nation prepares for national population and housing census. He emphasized the need for biometric and digital components in the census to ascertain the country’s accurate population.
Tinubu made these assertions while speaking at a meeting with officials of the National Population Commission (NPC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.
The president stated that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) must be integrated into the census process.
“We must ascertain who we are, how many we are, and how to manage our data. Without an accurate census, we cannot successfully plan for employment, agriculture, and food sovereignty. Many problems arise without accurate data,” the President said in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.
Nigeria last conducted a national census in November 2006. Tinubu further reportedly announced plans to establish a committee to align the census budget with the government’s financial realities before engaging development partners for additional funding.
“This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. We need a definite path. I will set up a committee to critically examine the issues, assess our resources, and determine what we can fund before seeking external support,” he added.
The President stressed that biometric capturing should be central to the census, incorporating multiple identification features, including facial and voice recognition.
He noted that government incentives, such as the distribution of fertilizers, could be improved with more reliable demographic data.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, reaffirmed Tinubu’s commitment to the census, stating that the data would be crucial for future planning and resource distribution.
“At the 2023 ministers’ retreat, Mr. President reiterated his commitment to the census. In fact, at the last Federal Executive Council meeting, he asked me about the delay, and I explained that it was due to funding constraints. However, the NPC and all stakeholders must determine the minimum amount required to support Mr. President in making a final decision,” Bagudu said.
He noted that in the 2006 census, 40% of the funding came from development partners. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to integrate various identity management agencies, including the NPC, NIMC, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Ministry of Digital Economy, passport registry, social register, voter register, telecoms data, and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).
NPC Chairman Nasir Isa Kwarra emphasized the urgency of the census, noting that 19 years had passed since the last enumeration, making previous figures unreliable for planning. He revealed that 760,000 tablets had already been acquired and stored with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in preparation for the exercise.
He assured that once President Tinubu proclaims the new census, the commission would engage development partners to seek necessary support.
