Seventeen months into his presidency, President Bola Tinubu has yet to announce a date for Nigeria’s much-anticipated National Population and Housing Census, causing concern over its potential impact on national planning and governance.
The delay follows former President Muhammadu Buhari’s indefinite postponement of the 2023 census, leaving the decision of setting a new date to his successor.
Despite reaffirming support for the census, Tinubu has not provided any timeline for the exercise, raising anxiety among stakeholders about further delays.
The last census in Nigeria was conducted in 2006, with a recorded population of 140 million. Since then, the country has relied on estimates for policy decisions, sparking worries over the accuracy of data used for resource allocation and political representation.
Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Kwarra, disclosed that approximately N200 billion has already been spent on preparations, with over 760,000 digital devices ready for the census.
In July 2024, the NPC proposed November 2024 as a possible census date but is still awaiting presidential approval.
“At the beginning of the year, we wanted to conduct a census in November, but we are waiting for that nod. If that is given, we will swing into action, and before the end of 2024, we will be able to conduct a very good census for Nigeria,” Kwarra said during a press conference on World Population Day.
Experts have warned that further delays could waste resources and hamper critical national planning.
A former Federal Commissioner at the NPC, Professor Jimoh Isah, urged Tinubu to announce a date, stating that the commission is “99 per cent ready” to carry out the census.
“The government should come out and make a sound pronouncement on when the census will be held this year because, to the best of my knowledge, the NPC is 99 per cent ready,” said Professor Isah.
Political analyst Busari Dauda also criticised the delay, describing it as a sign of “unseriousness” from the government.
