Senate Advocates for National Census, Schedules Meeting with Tinubu

The Nigerian Senate is pushing for a long-overdue national census and has announced plans to meet with President Tinubu to discuss implementation strategies.

The Senate has pledged to advocate for a national population census before the current administration concludes in 2027.

This commitment was reaffirmed during a budget defense session with Nasir Isa Kwarra, the Chairman of the National Population Commission.

Senator Abdul Ningi, the Chairman of the Committee on National Identity Management and Population, stated, “We will tirelessly work to ensure a census is conducted before this administration concludes.”

He disclosed that the Senate was planning to meet with President Bola Tinubu to emphasize the urgent need for conducting a census in 2025. “We will soon discuss this issue with the President and formally communicate through the Senate President, underscoring the necessity of holding a census this year,” he stated.

Additionally, Senator Olalere Oyewunmi emphasized the need to urge the President to make conducting the census a top priority.

Similarly, Senator Diket Plang expressed concern over the country’s dependence on estimated population figures, which obstructs effective planning.

“It’s frustrating that we’re still relying on estimates in this day and age. How can we plan effectively without knowing the exact population? It’s disappointing that 2024 went by without reaching a 90 percent performance level. He emphasized the need for accurate population data, advocating for a definitive count by 2025,” he stated.

The head of the population commission stated that the census budget has not been finalized yet, as there are plans to incorporate a biometric element into the process.

“We are planning to include the biometric element in this year’s budget and perform a test run before holding discussions with the President. The President favors transitioning to a biometric model for headcount, as opposed to relying on traditional methods,” he stated.