On Thursday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, received in audience the Chairman of National Population Commission, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, fnsa and his team at the State House, Abuja.
NPC Chairman briefed the President on the Implementation Status of the 2023 Population and Housing Census and requested the issuance of a proclamation for a new Census date later this year or early next year.
Kwarra highlighted the funding challenges faced by the Commission, saying we were waiting on the President to support the NPC and give the go-ahead for the conduct of the census.
He also noted that the Commission was on the verge of conducting the final training for the Census before being caught up with the transition programme for a new government and funding challenges, necessitating the postponement of the exercise by the immediate-past President.
However, the NPC Boss informed the President that the Commission has developed a database that can be useful in national planning, infrastructure development, and revenue generation for the government while calling on President Tinubu to approve and convene a stakeholder meeting with the organized private sector and foreign partners to galvanise funds for the Census.
In his remarks after receiving a briefing from the NPC Chairman, President Tinubu expressed concern over the delay in conducting another census in the country since the last exercise done in 2006.
He urged the NPC to view this delay as an opportunity to cash in on the advantages of the current electronic and digital age.
The President said ‘I have listened to you and we will support you. The accuracy and integrity of your data are important to Nigerians and our national economic development programmes.
‘We will support you but you must be prudent and determined to make a name for yourself. Good luck.”
