The Speaker, during a courtesy visit to his office by officials of the National Population Commission (NPC), stated that it would be difficult to hold the exercise in 2026 due to preparation for the 2027 elections.
In a statement, Abbas expressed his satisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to a biometric-based census, emphasizing its potential to end the reliance on outdated population estimates.
“We must ensure that the next census occurs this year because, by 2026, election campaigns will divert our attention. Many believe that Nigeria’s population is not as high as projected. There is low voter turnout and school enrollment figures that contradict these estimates,” he said.
Highlighting the urgency of the matter, the Speaker voiced concerns over delays in conducting the census, which have resulted in significant data gaps.
He promised to engage with President Tinubu to prioritise the census, saying the President respects the National Assembly as a former parliamentarian, expressing belief that this engagement would lead to the census being conducted this year.
He stressed the importance of securing adequate funding for the NPC and assured the Commission of the House of Representatives’ support.
He acknowledged that the NPC’s current budget for 2025 may fall short of what is required to conduct the next census, but remained optimistic that with political will, alternative funding sources could be explored.
In his remarks, NPC Chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra, sought the National Assembly’s assistance in securing funds for the 2025 Population and Housing Census and other activities of the NPC.
He said that the next population and Housing Census would be biometric-based, aligning with the recommendations of the 2030 round of censuses and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He outlined the Commission’s progress in preparation for the census, originally scheduled for 2023.
“Key achievements include the successful completion of Enumeration Area Demarcation across 774 LGAs, the development of a National EA Frame, the launch of a digital recruitment platform for ad-hoc staff, the Pretests and Trial Census to validate tools and methodologies; the procurement of 760,000 Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) for census operations; and the set up of Census Situation Room for real-time monitoring of census activities.”
