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Nasir Kwarra, Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), has revealed plans to conduct Nigeria’s long-overdue population and housing census in 2025, nearly 20 years after the last census was carried out in 2006.
Kwarra announced this during the 2024 commemoration of the Nairobi Summit on the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Abuja on Thursday.
“One of the major challenges we face is the delay in conducting a Population and Housing Census. Accurate and reliable data is essential for informed decision-making,” Kwarra stated.
He expressed confidence that the government, at the highest level, is committed to ensuring the census takes place next year.
This declaration comes 18 years after the country’s last census, despite the UN’s recommendation for nations to carry out population counts every decade.
Efforts to hold the census in 2023 were postponed under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to allow the incoming government to take ownership of the process.
During his address, Kwarra highlighted the negative impact of the delay on effective decision-making and resource distribution, particularly in underserved rural areas.
He also stressed the importance of accurate population data for addressing issues like sexual and reproductive health rights, eliminating gender-based violence, and ensuring inclusivity.
“We are here united in our commitment to inclusivity, empowerment, and progress, especially for women, girls, and young people,” he remarked.
He underscored the broader implications of failing to uphold sexual and reproductive health rights, emphasizing that such failures limit individual potential, reduce opportunities, and hinder societal development.
Toyin Saraki, founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, also spoke at the event. She pledged ongoing advocacy and policy support to advance the ICPD agenda.
Saraki urged private organizations, philanthropic bodies, and other stakeholders to collaborate in accelerating progress toward achieving the initiative’s objectives.