Seventeen months into his presidency, Bola Tinubu has not announced a date for Nigeria’s long-awaited National Population and Housing Census, raising concerns about national planning and governance.
This delay follows former President Muhammadu Buhari’s indefinite postponement of the 2023 census, leaving Tinubu to set a new timeline.
While Tinubu has expressed support for the census, he has yet to confirm when it will occur, causing anxiety among key stakeholders regarding the implications of further postponements.
The last census in Nigeria was conducted in 2006, recording a population of 140 million. Since then, the country has relied on estimates for policy decisions, prompting concerns about data accuracy for resource allocation and representation.
Nasir Kwarra, Chairman of the National Population Commission, noted that approximately N200 billion has already been invested in preparations, with over 760,000 digital devices ready for the census.
In July 2024, the NPC proposed November 2024 for the census but is still waiting for 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.
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