NewStats: 3,264,084 , 8,182,544 topics. Date: Monday, 09 June 2025 at 03:32 PM 4v1h45

President Bola Tinubu has turned down a N942bn proposal by the National Population Commission for the conduct of the national housing and population census, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

Impeccable sources privy to the discussions between Tinubu and the commission’s top officials on Monday, February 24, 2025, at the State House, revealed that the President insisted on cost-cutting measures.

According to the insiders, the President suggested the deployment of of the National Youth Service Corps for the exercise.

After being briefed by officials of the NPC led by its Chairman, Nasir Kwarra, Tinubu promised to set up a committee to align the census budget to the government’s present financial realities.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement titled, ‘Nigeria moves closer to fresh census, President Tinubu to set up committee,’ quoted Tinubu as saying “This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. So, we better have a definite path.

Tinubu was quoted to have said further, “I will set up a committee for you to look at the issues critically and do a source and application of resources. Where can we get help, and what can we lift before we embark on proclamation?”

Revealing more details on the development one of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that while the President wanted the census to be conducted, he insisted that the cost must be reduced.


The government official said, “The main issue from that meeting was that the money they were proposing was quite much. It is around N942bn. That is almost N1tn. And the President felt that it was too much. That is why he said there would be a committee to look at the issues altogether because that cost must come down.

“He wants to do it. He wants the census to happen. But the cost is too high. His goal is that they should do it for less.”

Another insider at the meeting further revealed that Tinubu suggested a massive deployment of NYSC nationwide to cut personnel costs.

“He was even suggesting that they recruit youth corps to make it cheaper,” the official revealed.

However, a third source told Saturday PUNCH that the constituents and activities of Tinubu’s new committee were still unclear.

“We have heard nothing about that committee for now. It is still being put together as we speak. But the agencies concerned will be on it,” the source explained.

At the meeting, Tinubu had affirmed that the National Identity Management Commission must be part of the review.

“We must ascertain who we are, how many we are, and how to manage our data. Without an accurate census, we can’t successfully plan for employment, agriculture, and food sovereignty.

“So many problems come up without accurate data,” President Tinubu noted.

The President added that government incentives, such as the sale and distribution of fertilisers, could be easily improved with more reliable data and demographics.

He told the NPC delegation that biometric capturing should be central to the process, with multiple identification features, including facial and voice recognition.

According to him, “We should work on our financial muscle well in place to lift our burden before we go and meet development partners for the census. We should work out the figures before discussing the role of development partners.”

Since it last occurred in November 2006, Nigeria’s housing and population census has faced repeated delays and logistical hurdles since the twilight of President Muhammadu Buhari’s istration.

Although the NPC invested in new technology—such as digital mapping and biometric capture—to enhance accuracy and transparency, issues including inadequate funding, insecurity in certain regions, and the onset of COVID-19 contributed to a series of postponements.


The 2023 census, in particular, was deferred due to overlapping concerns, ranging from budget constraints to political transitions, making it difficult for stakeholders to finalise preparations before Buhari left office.

Under the Tinubu istration, plans to reschedule the census have equally faced difficulties, as the Federal Government remains uncertain over timing, methodology, and questions regarding how best to capture data on large, mobile populations, including internally displaced persons.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said the census data would be central to future planning and resource distribution.

The Minister said the commission and everyone on the team needed to agree on the minimum amount that could be sourced to the President in making the final decision.

“Mr President, we have been having ecosystem meetings to link the identity agencies, even the geo-spatial chaired by the ministry, because of our mandate as the supervising ministry of the National Bureau of Statistics.

“So, the NPC, NBS, NIMC, Ministry Of Digital Economy, port, social , voters , and even telecoms data have been meeting with the National Space Research and Development Agency to see how much is available to the government regarding data and how much optimisation can take place.”

In his presentation, NPC chairman noted that 760,000 tablets had been acquired and stored with the Central Bank of Nigeria, assuring the commission would engage with development partners to seek whenever President Tinubu proclaimed the new census.

https://punchng.com/tinubu-rejects-n942bn-census-budget-proposes-use-of-corpers/

Lol…almost a trillion…we no do again abeg….census chairman wan cash out big time

Better
Ftc

It is not longer business as usual.

Bobloco:

https://punchng.com/tinubu-rejects-n942bn-census-budget-proposes-use-of-corpers/

These people don suck this country dry

It's welcomed

To kill corpers abi

Corpers getting kidnapped just for the sake of being on the road and nothing is being done… now you want them pucknosing around while their DGs chop the main census money 😂

900 billion
corpers are the way to go

Please do it this year abeg I need money

Last census was 2006, how time flies. local man was in ss1 .
Meant to be every 10years, useless country getting to 20yrs. WTF

No free labour anywhere!

Why won’t he reject where he won’t see what he and Seyi will steal

Use the free labor otondos

Tinubu, the president with iron 🧇 balls.

id4sho:
Last census was 2006, how time flies. local man was in ss1 .
Meant to be every 10years, useless country getting to 20yrs. WTF

lol, I was a corper in the Southeast then, I we enumerated Abagana and Abatete area. They just settled us and put us in one house like that to be filling forms. Kai Nigeria!

Lol wettin corpers no go see for Tinubu hand

Thief know say thief wan steal
Shameless people

Buhari allocated money for same census
What happens to that money?

id4sho:
Last census was 2006, how time flies. local man was in ss1 .
Meant to be every 10years, useless country getting to 20yrs. WTF

How come we were in the same class as at 2006? You be old man o. 18 years old me then. And later you will still lie about your actual age o. Then no go know day you don old.

scribble:
Why won’t he reject where he won’t see what he and Seyi will steal

Use the free labor otondos

nothing dey want to do right that will satisfy you

Corpers - FGs laborers
Pay minimum wage no
Now they corpers
When they kidnap them wetin go happen

900 billion naira? 🙄 Please who is the NPC chairman?
With the attitude of an average Nigerian, I will say an average Nigerian is hypocritically wicked

Conduit pipe.
Cheap labour.

Tinubu wanna be moving like Trump cutting cost...he should start with his ministers and aides first then the agencies.

The said amount is too much.

Oh, I won't condemn the DG he's just trying to secure the bag as his other colleagues are doing, he will still pay homage 🥲
Meanwhile note

it is only a Nigerian girl you will see preparing for marriage and she only has #5k or less in her .
With a mind blowing milage!!

It is only a Nigerian girl that knows what she deserves, but has 0 balance, no job and her parents can't even afford to give her what she thinks she deserves.

It is only a Nigerian girl that believe what she deserves should be funded by a man's pocket.

Very delusional lot.

The number of tablets acquired is huge, can't they collaborate with NIMC, INEC for equipment!tools sharing?
This is where Bosun Tijani should be useful!

stonemasonn:
lol, I was a corper in the Southeast then, I we enumerated Abagana and Abatete area. They just settled us and put us in one house like that to be filling forms. Kai Nigeria!

You are one of Nigeria's problems, and you'll also people castigating the government, whereas you are worse off.
May God forgive you

dabeatster:
Corpers getting kidnapped just for the sake of being on the road and nothing is being done… now you want them pucknosing around while their DGs chop the main census money 😂

Will you stop with your negative exaggerations!

It is the reason your life is the way it is..

Everything you project is negativity..

Take a good look at your life..