TINUBU INSISTS ON A DIGITAL CENSUS REVOLUTION FOR NIGERIA'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu reaffirms his commitment to a digital census that integrates biometric and digital data, ensuring accurate statistics for effective development planning and improved social security in Nigeria.”

In a determined move that promises to redefine the nation’s approach to development planning, President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his commitment to launching a digital revolution in Nigeria’s upcoming national population and housing census. Speaking from the heart of ABUJA at the Presidential Villa during a high-level meeting with officials from the National Population Commission (NPC), the President emphasized the absolute necessity of accurate and reliable data as the foundation for driving economic progress, social security, and efficient resource distribution.

President Tinubu, through his spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, underlined that the success of future developmental initiatives hinges on a comprehensive understanding of the nation’s demographic makeup. “We must ascertain who we are, how many we are, and how to manage our data. Without an accurate census, we cannot successfully plan for employment, agriculture, and food sovereignty. Many problems arise without accurate data,” he stated. His remarks were a clarion call to integrate advanced biometric capturing and digital components into the census process. The President’s vision includes the incorporation of facial and voice recognition technology as essential elements of biometric verification, ensuring that every citizen is accurately recorded and accounted for.

This renewed push for a digital census comes nearly two decades after Nigeria last conducted a national census in November 2006. The outdated data has long been a stumbling block for effective policy formulation, and President Tinubu’s emphasis on modernizing the process reflects his resolve to overcome this challenge. The President has also announced plans to establish a dedicated committee to align the census budget with current government financial realities. This committee is expected to critically assess resource requirements and identify the minimum funding necessary before any engagement with external development partners, a process that is vital given that 40% of the funding for the previous census was sourced from such partners.

In addition to the high-level strategic discussions, the meeting in ABUJA also saw vigorous debates on the integration of various identity management systems. President Tinubu stressed that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) must be seamlessly incorporated into the census process to bolster the reliability of demographic data. Ongoing efforts aim to integrate multiple agencies, including the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Ministry of Digital Economy, the passport registry, the social register, the voter register, telecoms data repositories, and even the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). This multifaceted integration is intended to create a unified, robust database that will serve as the backbone of national planning and policy implementation.

While government officials laid out these forward-thinking strategies, the human face of Nigeria’s challenges was also brought to light. In a separate yet poignant account, a distraught widow tearfully recounted her struggle as she lamented, “My husband’s family took our land, now they want my daughters and I out of the house.” This heart-wrenching cry for help underscores the severe socio-economic vulnerabilities that many Nigerians face. It serves as a stark reminder that behind every statistic and policy initiative lies a community in dire need of accurate data to drive meaningful social intervention and ensure the protection of vulnerable groups.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, reinforced the President’s unwavering commitment to the census. At a recent ministers’ retreat held in 2023, he pointed out that the delay in conducting the census was largely due to funding constraints. Bagudu reiterated that reliable demographic data is not just a statistical necessity; it is the cornerstone of improved government incentives, such as the distribution of fertilizers to farmers, which in turn supports food sovereignty and rural development. He explained that the NPC, along with other stakeholders, must determine the minimum amount required to make the census a success. This pragmatic approach is designed to ensure that the government can take decisive action even in the face of financial challenges.

NPC Chairman Nasir Isa Kwarra further stressed the urgency of the census, noting that 19 years have elapsed since the last enumeration. With the previous figures now unreliable for modern planning, the acquisition of 760,000 tablets—currently stored with the Central Bank of Nigeria—signals a tangible step towards modernizing the data collection process. Chairman Kwarra assured that once President Tinubu officially proclaims the new census, the commission would immediately engage with development partners to secure the necessary additional support.

As Nigeria stands on the cusp of what could be a transformative shift in national planning, the emphasis on a digital, biometric-driven census is expected to impact a wide range of sectors. From employment to agriculture and from social security to the equitable distribution of resources, the drive for accurate data is central to addressing the myriad challenges facing the nation. With ABUJA serving as the epicenter of these groundbreaking initiatives, President Tinubu’s bold vision is set to usher in a new era of data-driven governance that could significantly enhance the quality of life for all Nigerians.