Daniel Otera
As Nigeria marked the 2025 World Population Day, the Chairman of the House Committee on National Population, Hon. Okunjimi John Odinayo, has urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritise the long-postponed population and housing census. He warned that further delays could undermine youth-focused development policies and disrupt effective national planning.
Speaking to The Journal Nigeria, Odinayo emphasised that without accurate and current data, government interventions risk being built on assumptions rather than reality leaving young Nigerians underserved.
“Data cannot be overemphasised,” he said. “Everybody needs data. Before I came to the National Assembly, I was a private operator. To manage my organisation, I had to know the number of staff and understand every variable.”
The call coincided with global commemorations of the 2025 World Population Day, marked under the theme: “Empowering Young People to Create the Families They Want in a Fair and Hopeful World.”
According to the National Population Commission (NPC), young people make up over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population. Demographic estimates from the National Bureau of Statistics also show that the majority of Nigerians are under the age of 30, placing Nigeria among the world’s youngest nations. Yet, the country has not conducted a population and housing census since 2006.
Odinayo warned that without reliable figures, Nigeria cannot adequately plan for education, healthcare, employment or even infrastructure distribution.
“In the case of Nigeria, among the series of challenges confronting us, data is one of the most important,” he said. “The government, especially this current administration, has made some good decisions. But those decisions will be better informed when backed by accurate data. That’s why we need the census before anything else.”
He expressed confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to conducting the long-awaited census, referencing the presidential committee recently established to develop a strategic roadmap.
“I am sure the President is not sitting on it. It’s a matter of funding priorities,” Odinayo said. “Before the postponement due to elections, the census was almost conducted. But when the President came in, variables changed. The removal of fuel subsidies and rising inflation multiplied the cost of governance.”
“I believe that within a short period, the President will come up with a decision to conduct the census. If he wasn’t ready, those committees would not have been put in place.”
Despite delays, the National Population Commission has sustained its technical preparations for Nigeria’s first digital census. As of early 2025, the agency had completed Enumeration Area Demarcation across 772 of the country’s 774 local government areas, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to digitise household data. This marks a significant departure from previous paper-based enumeration methods.
According to figures reported by Technology Times and confirmed by NPC officials, the proposed census is expected to cost over ₦869 billion, with only about ₦291.5 billion released so far. The remaining funding gap has been attributed to shifting government priorities following the 2023 general elections and the economic impact of fuel subsidy removal.
Reports by Vanguard and Nairametrics indicate that the federal government has yet to secure the remainder of the budget needed to carry out the exercise, which was initially scheduled for 2023 but postponed due to electoral activities.
Despite the challenges, the House Committee Chair expressed optimism that the census once executed would be Nigeria’s most credible to date.
“The House of Representatives is committed to providing the necessary legislative backing for timely, credible population data and youth-focused initiatives,” Odinayo affirmed during his address at the World Population Day event.
He also praised the National Population Commission for its technical readiness, and commended the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other development partners for advancing youth empowerment, reproductive health, and data for development.
As Nigeria’s 2025 development agenda gains momentum, analysts and civic organisations warn that the window to deliver a credible census during President Tinubu’s tenure is closing fast. Without updated demographic data, policymakers will be forced to rely on outdated estimates potentially skewing decisions on resource allocation, constituency representation, and national planning for years to come.
The National Population Commission maintains that it is ready to proceed with the digital census once full funding is secured and a new date is approved by the Presidency.