Tinubu Tasks Experts on Roadmap for First Digital Census in 18 Years

In a strategic move to revive Nigeria’s long-overdue national census, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated a high-powered committee tasked with delivering a comprehensive roadmap within three weeks. The move marks a significant step toward conducting Nigeria’s first technology-driven population and housing census since 2006.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, President Tinubu emphasized the importance of accurate demographic data in shaping policy across sectors—from education and healthcare to security and economic planning. He insisted that the census must reflect modern standards, leveraging digital tools and biometric systems to ensure credibility.

“We cannot plan effectively without knowing our numbers,” Tinubu said. “This enumeration exercise must be technology-driven. Things have changed since the last census, and so must our approach.”

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The President also urged the committee to explore diverse financing sources, including international partners, while working closely with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, which will spearhead the effort.

Senator Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and chair of the committee, pledged timely delivery of the report. He cited Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms and improved fiscal indicators as evidence of the government’s capacity to manage ambitious national projects—even in difficult times.

“We will be pragmatic and creative, just as the President has always urged,” Bagudu assured.

With the National Population Commission (NPC) already laying groundwork for the count, its Chairman Nasir Isa Kwarra said the Commission is ready to drive a credible and digital-first census, working in sync with key stakeholders.

The eight-member Presidential Committee includes heads of Nigeria’s key economic and data institutions—FIRS, NIMC, and the Ministries of Finance and Information—reflecting the administration’s commitment to a holistic and coordinated census effort.

As Nigeria braces for its first population count in nearly two decades, the committee’s report is expected to shape the policy, funding, and technological frameworks that will define this historic national exercise.