Nigeria is making significant progress toward conducting a national population and housing census with biometric and digital features.
President Bola Tinubu revealed this during a meeting with the National Population Commission (NPC).
He announced plans to set up a committee tasked with aligning the census budget to the government’s current financial realities.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) will be actively involved in this budget review process.
President Tinubu emphasized his commitment to obtaining accurate, reliable census figures to enhance development planning and improve living conditions.
The President noted that credible demographic data would enable more efficient delivery of social security and government incentives.
Programmes such as the distribution of fertilizers and other agricultural support can be better managed with updated, accurate statistics.
The President also stressed that biometric capturing would be a core element of the census process.
He stated that multiple identification features, including facial and voice recognition technology, would ensure data integrity.
This approach aims to prevent duplication and strengthen the credibility of the census results.
The upcoming census will mark Nigeria’s first in nearly two decades, with the last one held in November 2006.
