Criticisms have trailed the announcement of an eight-member National Housing and Census Committee inaugurated on Wednesday to look into financing and mode for the forthcoming census.
The committee which is chaired by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, has five of its members drawn from the South-West.
The census committee
Onanuga in a statement said the committee inaugurated by Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila on behalf President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was given three weeks to submit its report on the task assigned to it.
The composition of the committee included; Chairman, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, from the North-West; Secretary, Chairman, National Population Commission, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, from North-Central.
Members: Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, from the South-West; Minister of Information, Muhammed Idris, from North-Central; Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adelabu Adedeji, from the South-West; Director General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Bisoye Coker-Odusote, from the South-West; Principal Private Secretary to the President, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, from the South-West; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Operations (Office of the Chief of Staff), Mrs Oyinade Nathan-Marsh, from the South-West.
Concerns over composition of the committee
But the composition of the committee which is heavily dominated by members from the region the president hailed from has raised more concerns on the continuous reported nepotism of the administration.
Stakeholders who spoke with Daily Trust expressed dismay that five members of a committee which is tasked with an activity that would affect the entire country from one region does not speak well for the unity of the country.
A concerned Nigerian, Akeweta Emmanuel PhD, said his hope was dashed that the government of Nigeria inaugurated the high-level committee without inputs from other regions.
“The National Population and Housing Census; a critical national task that will shape everything from political representation to developmental priorities for years to come and out of the eight known members of this committee, five hail from the South West. Only the Chairman is from the North West while North Central has two. Entire regions: North East, South East, and South South, have been completely left out.”
“This is not just a clerical oversight. This is a dangerous gap that speaks volumes in silence. How can a committee that is meant to steer a national census lack representation from almost half of the country? In a nation as richly diverse and historically complex as ours, this kind of imbalance is not just unjust, it is unwise.
“Census is not a mere counting exercise. It’s about identity, access, and the future. It’s about who gets what, where, and how. If certain regions are absent from the decision-making table, how can we expect the process to be trusted or the results to be accepted?
“I call on all critical stakeholders, traditional rulers, civil society, lawmakers, regional leaders, the media, and well-meaning Nigerians, to rise to this challenge. This is not a matter of politics. It is a matter of justice and national cohesion.
“Let us not wait until after the damage is done. Let us speak now, boldly and united, to ensure that no region, no people, no voice is left out of this national conversation. This country belongs to all of us. The census must reflect that.
Composition is lopsided, not reflective of federal character – Ohanaeze
Spokesman of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu said while he has not seen the details of the committee and its mandate, its composition is lopsided and does not reflect federal character.
He said the President cannot claim that the committee is a private committee to advise him on the national census, otherwise he would not have made it public.
In a chat with Daily Trust, he said, “The truth of the matter is that the composition of the committee is lopsided and not reflective of the spirit of federal character- geopolitical balance and national inclusiveness in the polity.
“Unfortunately, when committee of this nature is constituted without adequate equity that addresses our geopolitical zonal spread, it is obvious that the output of their considerations may likely not be a true reflection of national unity.
“It is quite unfortunate that this kind of important and sensitive committee is constituted without anybody representing the South East.
“Mr. President is urged to revisit the composition or constitution of that committee to reflect national inclusiveness in order to enable the committee to have a proper, thorough and informed analysis of their mandate in the interest of a result-driven exercise that would be reflective of the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians in this contemporary world.
“If this committee were to be a private committee that should guide the President, he shouldn’t have made it public. It is imperative that the spirit of federal character and national inclusiveness comes in.”
It’s a coincidence that majority of members are from South West – NEF
In his reaction, the Spokesman for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, said it is only a coincidence that majority of the committee members are from the South West region while few regions like the North East were not represented.
He, however, said the committee’s responsibility is only to advise the President on when best to conduct the census but not conduct of the exercise.
“For me, it is just a mere coincidence that the Minister of Finance, and the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission and other aides of the minister are Yoruba. Mind you what I understand is that the committee will only advise the President on when best to conduct the census and also mobilise funds.
“Their work ends when they are done with that assignment and the National Population Commission saddled with the responsibility of conducting census will do that work.
“It is worthy of note that each state is represented by a Commissioner at the National Population Commission and that is the agency that will conduct the census not the committee,” he explained.
Duties of the committee
As part of its jobs, the president underscored financing factor in the exercise and tasked them to look at domestic and even international resources that can be used for it (census).
“We expect you will touch on the technology area because the census must be technology-driven. Things have changed since the last time that we conducted this exercise. The enumeration has to be technology-driven with biometrics and digitalisation,” he said.
Responding during the inauguration, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning assured the president that the committee will deliver its report within the three-week deadline.
The minister recalled President Tinubu’s advice to ministers during their retreat in 2003, urging them to think creatively and work with the resources available, even under harsh economic conditions.
Bagudu said the committee will recommend practical solutions, including strategies for mobilising domestic and international resources to fund the census.
The Minister of Information, Muhammed Idris, emphasised that accurate data is critical for planning across all sectors and that a credible census is the foundation for such data.
The Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC) said the commission has already begun preparations for the national population and housing census in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and other relevant stakeholders.
According to him, the focus has been on identifying key requirements and laying the groundwork necessary for the President to make an informed decision on the actual conduct of the census.(Daily trust)
