The National Population Commission (NPC) has announced its readiness to conduct the Nigerian Population and Housing Census, proposing November 2024 as the tentative date.
This was disclosed by the NPC Chairman, Nasir Isa Kwara, during a press conference held to mark the 2024 World Population Day.
According to Kwara, “The commission is 70 per cent ready to conduct the census.” He emphasized that the delay in conducting the census would not hinder Nigeria’s ability to achieve the UN 2020 Round of Population & Housing Censuses.
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Kwarra stated, “In the beginning of the year, we wanted to conduct a census in November, but we are waiting for that nod. If that is given, we will swing into action and before the end of 2024 we will be able to conduct a very good census for Nigeria. We are still prepared. A lot of money has been spent.”
He highlighted the commission’s preparedness, noting that “we have over 760,000 PDAs that we are supposed to use for the census. This equipment has been bought for over a year now. With such equipment, if you don’t use them and the batteries go down, we run the risk of losing a lot of these facilities. It is important we have the resources to kick-start the process.”
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The NPC Chairman also revealed that the commission has completed digital maps for the census and other surveys, emphasizing that the completion of the census would provide the country with relevant data to track every citizen in the country.
Adeyemi Adeniran, the Statistician General of the Federation, stressed the importance of census data in addressing poverty-related issues, stating that “census data is vital for the country’s development and plays a key role in addressing issues that contribute to poverty.”
