Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, has reiterated that the job of the Presidential Committee on Population and Housing Census as an ad hoc technical body is to identify funding sources for the upcoming enumeration of Nigerians.
The minister spoke at the committee’s inaugural meeting, which was inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu last week, to provide informed guidance on financing strategies, institutional coordination, and practical timelines for the enumeration.
Reiterating the role of the presidential ad-hoc committee in a post on his X handle, Tuesday, the minister said the committee is “distinct from the National Population Commission, the body legally mandated to plan, coordinate, and conduct population and housing censuses in the country.”
He explained that the committee is an ad hoc advisory body created to provide targeted guidance on specific areas of census planning and resourcing, emphasising that members were appointed based on their offices’ strategic responsibilities.
Bagudu stated that the committee’s role is to advise strictly within its five-point terms of reference, which included conducting a thorough review of the existing census budget to ensure alignment with current fiscal realities and national priorities.
He listed other terms as recommendations for feasible funding sources for the census, distinguishing between domestic resources and external partnerships, while developing a comprehensive resource mobilisation strategy that considers engagement with potential development partners, international agencies, and domestic private sector entities.
Highlighting the enormity of the committee’s task, he said, “A national census is not a routine administrative exercise; it is a sovereign investment in evidence-based governance.
“As we confront new challenges in urbanisation, security, food systems, public health, and social protection, the need for up-to-date population and housing data is not simply desirable but foundational.”
Bagudu chairs the committee, which includes the chairman of the National Population Commission, Mr. Nasir Kwarra, as secretary; the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Olawale Edun; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris; the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue, Dr Zach Adedeji; the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, Ms. Bisoye Coker-Odusote; the Principal Private Secretary to the President, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola; and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration (Office of the Chief of Staff), Mr. Temilola Adekunle-Johnson.