The Chairman of the National Population Commission ,NPC, Nasir Isa Kwarra has said Nigeria will conduct it’s population census next year, 2025.
He disclosed this on Thursday during the 2024 Anniversary of the Nairobi Summit on the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Abuja.
The National census is coming 19 years after the last census held in 2006 despite the United Nations’ recommendation for countries to conduct a census every decade.
Speaking during the anniversary in Abuja, Kwarra emphasized the significance of the census for advancing Nigeria’s development goals, particularly in areas of sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, and empowerment.
“Our focus is on advancing sexual and reproductive health, eliminating gender-based violence, and promoting equal opportunities for everyone in our nation,” Kwarra stated, underscoring the broader implications of population data for social and economic justice.
The NPC Chairman also stressed the importance of empowering women and young people, noting that societal progress is hindered when individuals are denied the ability to make choices about their health and lives.
As Nigeria gears up for the 2025 census, the government aims to address logistical and financial challenges to ensure the successful execution of this critical national exercise. The census is expected to provide essential data to guide policymaking, resource distribution, and development planning, laying a foundation for more inclusive growth across the nation.
Sleeknews recalled that Federal government had in 2023 concluded plan to conduct population census before the general election and
“the government has committed N291. 5bn ($632m) to the census, making it 46 percent of total funding for the census. An additional (immediate) sum of N327. 2bn ($709.9m) is required to complete the census.”
But Buhari administration suddenly postponed the census exercise, stating that it would give the incoming administration time to conduct it.