New NPC chair pledges transparent census

Population

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Newly sworn-in Chairman of the National Population Commission, Dr Aminu Yusuf, has promised to conduct a transparent and acceptable national census, saying the exercise will be conducted to win public trust.

Speaking with State House correspondents shortly after he took the oath of office alongside two NPC commissioners, Yusuf said his immediate focus is on delivering a credible headcount that Nigerians can own.

“This country needs a transparent, acceptable census, which I have promised.

“I’ve taken an oath here with my commissioners. By the grace of God, we will be transparent in whatever we do, the conduct of the census, so that at the end of it all, it will be acceptable to Nigerians,” he noted.

The NPC boss said he is confident in the quality of his team and the Commission’s leadership.

“With the team, with the calibre of team that I have as federal commissioners, [and] a very versatile and experienced director general, I don’t have any fear, because it’s a mandate that the President has given us, and he has given us a marching order.

“I have about four mandates, but I will talk on only one, which Nigerians know…when you hear about National Population Commission, we mostly only believe it is census.

“We have the mandate already of the Nigerian Population Commission. But as I’ve said, I only pick on census because that is what most Nigerians understand,” Yusuf added.

Nigeria’s last housing and population census was in November 2006, nearly two decades ago.

It recorded a population of 140,431,790, with 71,345,488 males and 69,086,302 females.

Since then, the exercise has faced repeated delays and logistical hurdles since the twilight of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Although the National Population Commission invested in new technology, such as digital mapping and biometric capture, to enhance accuracy and transparency, issues including inadequate funding, insecurity in certain regions, and the onset of COVID-19 contributed to a series of postponements.

The 2023 census, in particular, was deferred due to overlapping concerns, ranging from budget constraints to political transitions, making it difficult for stakeholders to finalise preparations before Buhari left office.

Under the Tinubu administration, plans to reschedule the census have equally faced difficulties, as the Federal Government remain uncertain over timing, methodology, and questions regarding how best to capture data on large, mobile populations, including internally displaced persons.

“This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. So we better have a definite path,” Tinubu said while meeting officials of the National Population Census on February 24, 2025.

The PUNCH had exclusively reported that the NPC Chairman at the time, Dr. Nasir Kwarra, presented a N942bn census budget to the President, which he turned down.

Officials privy to the discussions told our correspondent that the President insisted on cost-cutting measures, including the deployment of youth corps for the exercise.

At that meeting, Tinubu expressed plans to create a committee to align the census budget to the government’s present financial realities, demanding a more feasible figure.

Barely two months later, on April 16, 2025, he inaugurated a high-level committee on census.

At the ceremony held at the State House, Abuja, he mandated the committee to submit an interim report within three weeks, May 7, 2025.

With three years of experience, Stephen, The PUNCH correspondent, has been covering Nigeria’s presidency, politics, security, immigration and trafficking in persons

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