The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a credible, transparent and internationally acceptable national population census, underscoring the importance of accuracy, legality and public trust over speed.
This assurance was given on Wednesday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, during a courtesy visit by the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr Aminu Yusuf, who led a management delegation of the Commission to the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Abuja.
Idris said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains resolute in delivering a census exercise anchored on effective public communication, robust inter-agency collaboration and global best practices, noting that credible population data is fundamental to national development planning.
“As a government, we are prioritising process, legality and credibility over haste, given how foundational reliable data is to national planning,” the minister said.
He assured the NPC leadership of the full support of the ministry and its agencies in mobilising Nigerians and driving nationwide awareness once a census date is officially proclaimed by the President. According to him, key agencies including the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Voice of Nigeria (VON) and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) are fully prepared to support public advocacy and sensitisation efforts.
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In his remarks, Dr Yusuf stressed the commission’s operational readiness for the exercise, revealing that systems, logistics, ICT infrastructure and personnel capacity are being continuously refined to ensure efficiency, transparency and credibility.
He noted that the NPC remains focused on strengthening internal processes to guarantee a smooth and credible census whenever the Federal Government announces a new date.
The meeting highlighted the Federal Government’s emphasis on collaboration and public trust as critical pillars for the successful conduct of Nigeria’s next national census.