Senate Insists On Population Census This Year
…As NPC moves for biometric model
The Senate has insisted that population census must hold in the country this year 2025
It also complained bitterly about lack of population headcount in the country for the past 19 years
The Senate said Nigeria was becoming a laughing stock in the comity of Nations because it did not have credible data for proper planning and was deploying trial and error projections .
It therefore declared that National census must hold in Nigeria this year , just the Chairman of the National Population Commission ( NPC ) , Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra hinted that biometric model of headcount, is being worked on .
Senate’s displeasure at lack of credible data and statistics for thorough and specific planning in the country due to lack of head counts over the years came to the fore during budget defence session the NPC Chairman had with the Senate Committee on National Identity and Population .
Virtually all the members of the committee Chaired by Senator Abdul Ningi ( PDP Bauchi Central ) , during the session , lamented over lack of head counts in the country for the past 19 years .
First to make the lamentation , was Senator Diket Plang ( APC Plateau Central), who said that he felt bad as a Nigerian and leader about his country not having credible data on population of its citizenry .
” I feel very bad that we are still living on estimated population figures . Feel bad that we are still postulating and relying on data supplied by foreign bodies which is more or less , demeaning us among comity of Nations .
” We want to know our population . Nigeria should be counted this year “, he said .
Making similar lamentation , the Deputy Minority leader of the Senate who doubles as Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Olalere Oyewumi ( PDP Osun West ) , said NPC should put in everything in place for the population headcount to hold this year
According to him , in preventing what happened in 2022 during President Muhammadu Buhari from repeating itself , the population exercise must be held this year because 2026 will be too close to 2027 general election .
