President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rejected a proposed N942 billion budget from the National Population Commission (NPC) for the upcoming national housing and population census.
According to ThePUNCH, sources familiar with the discussions revealed that Tinubu insisted on cutting costs and suggested using members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the exercise.
During a meeting at the State House on February 24, 2025, with NPC officials led by Chairman Nasir Kwarra, the President promised to set up a committee to review the budget and align it with the government’s financial situation.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement titled, ‘Nigeria moves closer to fresh census, President Tinubu to set up committee,’ quoted Tinubu as saying “This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. So, we better have a definite path.
Tinubu was quoted to have said further, “I will set up a committee for you to look at the issues critically and do a source and application of resources. Where can we get help, and what can we lift before we embark on proclamation?”
Revealing more details on the development one of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that while the President wanted the census to be conducted, he insisted that the cost must be reduced.
The government official said, “The main issue from that meeting was that the money they were proposing was quite much. It is around N942bn. That is almost N1tn. And the President felt that it was too much. That is why he said there would be a committee to look at the issues altogether because that cost must come down.
“He wants to do it. He wants the census to happen. But the cost is too high. His goal is that they should do it for less.”
Another insider at the meeting further revealed that Tinubu suggested a massive deployment of NYSC members nationwide to cut personnel costs.
“He was even suggesting that they recruit youth corps members to make it cheaper,” the official revealed. However, a third source said that the constituents and activities of Tinubu’s new committee were still unclear.
At the meeting, Tinubu emphasized the importance of an accurate census for national development, stating, “We must ascertain who we are, how many we are, and how to manage our data. Without an accurate census, we can’t successfully plan for employment, agriculture, and food sovereignty. So many problems come up without accurate data.”
The President also highlighted how reliable demographic data could improve government incentives, such as fertilizer distribution, and stressed the need for biometric capturing in the process.
“We should work on our financial muscle well in place to lift our burden before we go and meet development partners for the census. We should work out the figures before discussing the role of development partners,” he added.
Nigeria’s last population and housing census was conducted in November 2006. Since then, multiple attempts to hold another have faced setbacks due to funding shortages, insecurity, and logistical issues.
The 2023 census, scheduled under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was postponed due to budget constraints and political transitions.
Under the Tinubu administration, plans to reschedule the census have equally faced difficulties, as the Federal Government remains uncertain over timing, methodology, and questions regarding how best to capture data on large, mobile populations, including internally displaced person
