Nigeria Defies UN Regulations, To Conduct Census In 2025

 

After an 18-year hiatus, Nigeria is set to conduct its long-overdue population census in 2025, the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Isa Kwarra, has revealed.

The announcement was made during the 2024 anniversary of the Nairobi Summit on International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Abuja on Thursday.

Osun Defender reports that Nigeria’s last census was conducted in 2006, despite the United Nations’ recommendation for countries to hold population counts every 10 years.

This prolonged gap has left the country without an accurate figure of its population for almost two decades, placing it out of step with global practices.

The NPC boss attributed the delay to a series of logistical and financial setbacks. Kwarra also noted that the botched census dates under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 further prolonged the exercise.

The Buhari-led government had postponed the census to allow the incoming administration to take ownership of the process.

Kwarra lamented the implications of this delay, stating that it had hindered effective planning and resource allocation.

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“The absence of accurate population data has created significant challenges, particularly in tailoring reproductive health services and interventions to specific demographic groups,” he said.

He highlighted how the lack of recent data undermines efforts to combat maternal mortality, improve family planning access, and address issues of gender-based violence (GBV).

“This is not just a health issue; it is a matter of social and economic justice. When individuals cannot make informed choices about their health and lives, the entire society suffers,” Kwarra added.

The 2025 census is expected to rectify these challenges and provide much-needed data to guide policy-making and development efforts.

The NPC emphasized the importance of inclusivity in the upcoming exercise, ensuring that underserved communities, especially in rural areas, are not left behind.

On her part, Toyin Saraki, founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, pledged her support for the NPC’s efforts, stressing the need for continued advocacy and policy interventions to advance the ICPD agenda.

She called on private and philanthropic stakeholders to play active roles in mobilizing resources for the census and related initiatives.