Census must hold in 2025, Senate declares

The Senate Tuesday complained about lack of population headcount in the country for the past 19 years, which according to it, is turning Nigeria to a laughing stock in the comity of nations.

The lawmakers expressed concern that the nation has no credible data for proper planning.

Cosequently, It declared that National Census must hold in Nigeria this year.

The chairman of the National Population Commission ( NPC ) , Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra, stated that biometric model of headcount, is being worked on.

Senate’s displeasure  at  lack of credible data and statistics for thorough and specific planning in the country due to lack of head counts over the years came to the fore  during budget defence session the NPC chairman had  with the Senate Committee on National Identity and Population.

Virtually all the members  of the committee chaired by Senator Abdul Ningi ( PDP Bauchi Central ), lamented over lack of head counts in the country for the past 19 years.

First to lament  was Senator Diket Plang (APC Plateau Central), who said that he felt bad as a Nigerian and leader about his country not having credible data on population of its citizenry.

“I feel very bad that we are still living on estimated population figures. I feel bad that we are still postulating and relying on data supplied by foreign bodies which is more or less, demeaning us among comity of Nations.

“We want to know our population . Nigeria should be counted this year,” he said.

Making similar lamentation, the Deputy Minority leader of the Senate who doubles as vice chairman of the committee,  Senator Olalere Oyewumi (PDP Osun West) , said NPC should put in everything in place for the population headcount to hold this year. 

He said in preventing what happened in 2022 during President Muhammadu Buhari from repeating itself , the population exercise must be held this year because 2026 will be too close to 2027 general election.

“2025 budget of NPC should revolve around population census , which must be done this year because the demographic characteristics of the population  figures being bandied about the country now  are not known.

“NPC should get its act together for the president to make proclamation on the population census which in itself , will facilitate  provisions for the desired money,” he said.

Emphasising importance of the exercise, the chairman of the committee , Senator Abdul Ningi, in his remarks , said the committee will through the President of the Senate , write President Bola Tinibu on the need for the exercise this year.

However in his response, the NPC chairman, said the president is not against population head count but wants it done biometrically.

“President Bola Tinubu is obviously on the same page with members of this committee on the need for population head count ,but the assignment he has given us is that, all machineries and facilities should be put in place for the very important exercise to be done biometrically in a way that at the end of the day , nobody will say fishes were counted in the riverine areas and cows counted in the north.”

Earlier in his budget presentation, the NPC boss said in 2024 , total budgetary provision for the commission was N12.7billion out of which N1.17billion was earmarked for capital vote, N818.9million for overhead and N10.8billion for personnel cost.

For the 2025 fiscal year, the NPC chairman said N18.2billion was proposed, out of which N1.17billion earmarked for overhead  and  N17.7billion for capital votes.

The committee accordingly approved the budgetary proposal.