2024 Census Will Hold As Scheduled- Senate Assures Nigerians

Nigerians have been reassured by the Senate that the eagerly anticipated population and housing census, set for November 2024, will proceed according to plan.

The majority of the nominees are individuals running for office for the second time, according to Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), the chairman of the Senate Committee on National Identity and Population, who was speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, February 7, during the screening of 17 of the 19 commissioner-nominees for the National Population Commission, NPC.

“It is a renomination and we have perused their credentials presented in the first instance, compared to the ones they. have just presented.”

140 million people were counted in the National Population Commission’s 2006 census, which was the most recent one.

Another census was scheduled to be conducted in 2022 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, however, it was ultimately rescheduled for 2023.

A few days before he left office, Buhari, however, announced that the headcount would be halted indefinitely and that President Bola Tinubu would be free to set new dates.

Read Also: Tinubu Pledges FG Support For Next Population Census

Tinubu has said that his administration will support the upcoming census, citing its necessity in important areas of national planning.

Ningi continued by pointing out that Nigeria had not held a census in the previous eleven years and that carrying out the procedure depends entirely on the political will of the administration.

“We are almost 11 years without taking the United Nations resolution on population which comes almost every seven years.

“I am sure with the political will, this is possible, it’s doable, the commission is ready, the personnel are ready. All we need do is the announcement by the President that the population census is coming on a date and once he says it, the international observers will now come in with their support.

“Without the President’s declaration, no one will send a kobo to Nigeria to support population census. Seventy-five per cent of the logistics in terms of machines, in terms of training of the personnel have been completed.

“All we need to do is for the President to have the political will, and commitment to say the census is taking place and we cannot postpone it.”

“That is why it is difficult now to ascertain the exact population. Even pro-rata, how many are Nigerians because of lack of political will,” Ningi said.

“The nominees should realise the importance of the assignment before them. The last time we had a national census was more than a decade ago.

“No nation improves nor develops without knowing its number and therefore, this is a unique assignment that the nominees will face in due course.

“This is because we are going to face the national census. And you have been selected because of your pedigree, your experience and your exposure to the system.

“It is very imperative while you are on that duty, we must see ourselves as Nigerians. There is no basis for any competition; whether there are more Hausa people than Igbo people or Yoruba than Tivs.

“That is not the essence of population count. The essence is to be able to develop a mechanism where we lay a developmental plan that will meet the aspirations of our peoples.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli