‘We must have a definite path’ — Tinubu mulls setting up committee for census planning

President Bola Tinubu says he will set up a committee to look at various issues that will enhance the conduct of the national population and housing census.

Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, said in a statement issued on Monday that Tinubu spoke during a meeting with officials of the National Population Commission (NPC) at the State House in Abuja.

The president said he is committed to ensuring accurate and reliable figures from the national census to strengthen development planning and improve Nigerians’ living conditions through more efficient social security.

“We must ascertain who we are, how many we are, and how to manage our data. Without an accurate census, we can’t successfully plan for employment, agriculture, and food sovereignty. So many problems come up without accurate data,” the statement reads.

Tinubu said that government interventions and incentives such as the sale and distribution of fertilisers could be easily improved with more reliable data and demographics.

He told the delegation led by Nasir Kwarra, the chairman of NPC, that biometric capturing should be central to the census process, with multiple identification features, including facial and voice recognition.

“We should work on our financial muscle well in place to lift our burden before we go and meet development partners for the census,” Tinubu said.

“We should work out the figures before discussing the role of development partners.

“This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. So, we better have a definite path.

“I will set up a committee for you to look at the issues critically and do a source and application of resources. Where can we get help, and what can we lift before we embark on the proclamation?”

Speaking during the meeting, Abubakar Bagudu, minister of budget, said census data would be central to future planning and resource distribution.

“At a retreat for the ministers in 2023, Mr. President, you reiterated your commitment to the census. So, there is no doubt about your desire and commitment to have the census,” Bagudu said.

“In fact, at the last federal executive council meeting, you asked me what the problem was, and I told you it was simply an issue of lack of ability to fund the census.

“Even today, before this meeting, I called the NPC chairman and restated your commitment to the census.

“However, the commission and all of us in the team need to agree on the minimum amount we can source to support Mr. President in making the final decision.

“The NPC indicated that 40 percent of the funding for the 2006 census came from development partners.

“Mr. President, we have been having ecosystem meetings to link the identity agencies, even the geo-spatial chaired by the ministry, because of our mandate as the supervising ministry of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“So, the NPC, NBS, NIMC, ministry of digital economy, passport, social register, voters register, and even telecoms data have been meeting with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) to see how much is available to the government regarding data and how much optimisation can take place.”

The last time the country conducted a census was in 2006 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.