The Nigerian Senate has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a national population census before the current administration’s tenure ends in 2027.
This promise was reiterated during a budget defense meeting with Nasir Isa Kwarra, chairman of the National Population Commission.
Senator Abdul Ningi, chairman of the Committee on National Identity Management and Population, emphasized the Senate’s determination to make the census a reality.
“We will not rest until a census is conducted before this administration ends,” he stated.
To drive home the importance of holding the census in 2025, the Senate plans to meet with President Bola Tinubu and submit a formal letter emphasizing the need for a census this year.
Other senators, including Olalere Oyewunmi and Diket Plang, echoed the urgency of conducting the census.
Senator Plang lamented Nigeria’s reliance on population estimates, which hinders effective planning. “We must ascertain our population,” he stressed, advocating for a conclusive count by 2025.
The National Population Commission is incorporating a biometric component into the census process, which has delayed the budget’s approval.
The commission intends to test the biometric component and include it in the 2025 budget, as President Tinubu favors a biometric methodology for the headcount.
