Senate Urges NPC to Conduct Census in 2025

The Senate has expressed disappointment over Nigeria's failure to conduct a population census for nearly two decades, calling on the National Population Commission (NPC) to ensure a nationwide census is carried out in 2025.

During a budget defense session with the Senate Committee on National Identity and Population, chaired by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), lawmakers criticized the lack of credible data for planning, which they said has diminished Nigeria's reputation internationally.

Senator Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central) voiced frustration, stating, “It’s disheartening that we continue to rely on estimated population figures and foreign-sourced data, which undermines our national credibility. Nigeria must conduct a population count this year.”

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Echoing this sentiment, Senator Olalere Oyewumi (PDP, Osun West), Deputy Minority Leader and Vice Chairman of the Committee, stressed the urgency of preventing further delays, noting that pushing the exercise to 2026 would risk interference with the 2027 general elections.

“The NPC’s 2025 budget should focus on delivering a population census this year. The lack of reliable demographic data hampers effective planning. The Commission must act promptly for the President to issue a proclamation enabling the exercise,” Oyewumi stated.

NPC Chairman Nasir Kwarra assured the Senate that preparations are underway to ensure the census is conducted biometrically, addressing concerns about data accuracy. “President Bola Tinubu supports the census but insists it must be biometric-based to eliminate inaccuracies and prevent allegations of inflated counts, such as counting fishes or livestock in certain regions,” Kwarra explained.

The Senate committee also pledged to write to President Tinubu, emphasizing the importance of conducting the headcount this year.

In his budget presentation, Kwarra revealed that the NPC proposed ₦18.2 billion for the 2025 fiscal year, with ₦1.17 billion allocated for overhead and ₦17.7 billion for capital projects, all aimed at facilitating the long-overdue census.