President Tinubu Inaugurates Census Committee, Orders Interim Report in Three Weeks

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated a high-level committee tasked with coordinating preparations for Nigeria’s upcoming National Population and Housing Census.

At the inauguration held on Wednesday at the State House in Abuja, Tinubu—represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila—emphasized the critical role of the census in national development, especially in areas such as healthcare, education, security, and economic planning.

The president gave the committee a three-week deadline to submit an interim report. In a statement released by Presidential Media Adviser Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu also stressed the importance of adequate funding, urging the committee to explore both domestic and international financing options.

Nigeria’s last census was conducted in 2006, recording a population of 140,431,790, comprising 69,086,302 females and 71,345,488 males.

Tinubu underscored the need for a technology-driven process to ensure accurate, verifiable results.

“Work with all relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. This ministry has to take charge of this because you cannot budget if you do not know how many we are,” he stated.
“The enumeration has to be technology-driven with biometrics and digitalisation.”

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, who also chairs the committee, assured the president that the interim report would be delivered on time.

Bagudu recalled Tinubu’s 2023 directive for ministers to think creatively and optimize available resources, even amid economic challenges. He pointed to recent improvements in foreign exchange stability and Nigeria’s positive growth trajectory as signs of progress under Tinubu's leadership.

Also speaking, Minister of Information Muhammad Idris, a member of the committee, stressed that a credible census is vital for producing the accurate data needed for effective national planning.