President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a high-level committee on the forthcoming national population and housing census, tasking it to submit an interim report within three weeks.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Mr. Bayo Onanuga on Wednesday said the President reiterated that census is crucial for national development, accurate planning, and effective decision-making in healthcare, education, security, and economic planning.
Speaking at the event held at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, Tinubu noted the importance of a technology-driven process in ensuring credible and verifiable results.
Persecondnews reports that the Chief of Staff to the President Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila represented Tinubu at the event held at the State House in Abuja.
“We expect you will touch on the technology area because the census must be technology-driven. Things have changed since the last time that we conducted this exercise.
“The enumeration has to be technology-driven with biometrics and digitalisation,” he said.
The committee, chaired by Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, includes key stakeholders such as the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Mr. Wale Edun, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Mr. Zacch Adedeji, and the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Mrs. Bisoye Coker-Odusote.
Bagudu assured the President that the committee will deliver its report within the three-week deadline, focusing on practical solutions, including strategies for mobilizing domestic and international resources to fund the census.
National Population Commission (NPC) Chairman Nasir Isa Kwarra, who will serve as the committee Secretary, said the commission has already begun preparations for the national population and housing census in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
“The focus has been on identifying key requirements and laying the groundwork necessary for the President to make an informed decision on the actual conduct of the census,” Kwarra said.
Minister of Information Muhammed Idris said accurate data is critical for planning across all sectors, stating, ” a credible census is the foundation for such data.”
With Nigeria’s last census conducted nearly two decades ago in 2006, recording a population of 140,431,790, the upcoming census is highly anticipated to provide updated figures essential for national planning and development.
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