The Presidency has responded to criticisms surrounding the newly established eight-member committee assigned to prepare a report for Nigeria’s upcoming national population and housing census.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his verified X account (@DOlusegun), Dada Olusegun, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, dismissed the backlash as both “laughable and ill-informed.”
According to Olusegun, the selection of committee members was deliberate, with each individual chosen based on how integral their current role is to the execution of the census.
“The outcry by some sections of the media on the committee formed by President Tinubu to create a report on the proposed National Census is entirely laughable and ill-informed,” he wrote.
He stressed that all members, aside from the Principal Secretary to the President who represents Tinubu, are directly involved in national data and planning operations, making their inclusion vital.
“It will be abominable to form any such committee without them,” he said.
The committee is led by Senator Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and National Planning. Other members include Mallam Nasir Isa Kwarra, Chairman of the National Population Commission, who also serves as secretary; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammad Idris; DG of the National Identity Management Commission, Engr Abisoye Odusote; Finance Minister Wale Edun; FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji; Presidential Principal Secretary Hakim Muri-Okunola; and the President’s SSA on Administration and Operations (Office of the Chief of Staff).
Olusegun questioned the merit of the criticism, asking: “Who among these people, whose current offices are crucial to the success of any National Census to be conducted, should be removed?”
He dismissed worries over the committee’s size and diversity, saying the job is time-sensitive and clearly outlined.
“The task is just for three weeks, and all the president requires is a report on how to combine finances with our existing database alongside communications model to ensure the success of the much-needed census exercise,” he noted.
Olusegun urged the public to trust the government’s intentions and not give in to unnecessary fears.
“We are about to have the best population census of our lifetime and no distractions should be encouraged,” he concluded.