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  • Use journalism for the good of Nigeria – NPC charges

    Use journalism for the good of Nigeria – NPC charges

    The Nigerian Press Council (NPC) has charged media practitioners in the country to use journalism for the overall good of the nation.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Executive Secretary of NPC, Dr. Dili Ezughah gave the charge while declaring open a workshop on “Public Trust and Ethical Journalism in the Digital Age” on Wednesday.

    The workshop held at Bingham University, Karu in Nasarawa State was organised by the NPC in collaboration with XEM Consultants Ltd.

    According to Dr. Ezughah, stakeholders in the media profession holds the key to public peace, order, national development and entrepreneurship.

    “Journalism in every geography and history thrives on public trust. That is why the proponents of the social responsibility theory of the press are of the view that the press has a duty to be socially responsible.

    “The profession we have is a very potent agent for change. We can change for the good and we can change for the bad.

    “So, we encourage you to use the power you have for the good of all of us, for a stable nation; a nation that is economically viable. We can do this.

    “For staff of NPC, be properly guided in your regulatory functions,” Ezughah said.

    He further explained that the advent of new media has brought both revolution to information dissemination as well as challenges in information management.

    “The Council was set up to aid practitioners and direct them towards the ethics and direction of responsibility. The need to comply with the Code of Ethics cannot be overemphasized.

    “It makes the practice of journalism a profession that creates peaceful environment for social exchange and ultimately impact society on social cohesion and development.

    “This is in line with with President Bola Tinubu’s desire for continued free, responsible and accountable journalism practice under his administration.

    “At the Press Council, our mandate consist of promoting high professional standards for the Nigerian Press; this, we execute through capacity building such as this workshop,” Ezughah said.

    He stressed that the Council’s mandate also include monitoring media content and drawing attention to ethical preaches.

    The NPC boss further called on the participants to capitalise on the opportunity to spread knowledge acquire in their work place and environment.

    Also speaking, the National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Mr Achike Chude, said journalism is a noble profession, adding that it is about public trust.

    “Democracy depends on journalism. Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution gave media the power to hold government and government officials accountable for the interest of the entire citizens.

    “Therefore, journalists have a role to play, and such role has given them nobility,” Chude said.

    TNG reports the NPC workshop drew participants from academia and the newsroom, including regulators, practitioners, lecturers and students of journalism.

    A facilitator, Dr Santas Tsegyu from Nasarawa State University presented a topic on “Mass Media as a Mass Educator”.

    Also, another facilitator, Mr Samuel Akpe presented his paper on the topic “Embracing Fact-checking in Journalism towards Embracing Public Trust, Mr Samuel Abu deliver a lecture on Ethics of Journalism.

    No fewer than 75 journalists attended the workshop. While some of the participants expressed satisfaction, saying it was impactful, others said it was an eye opener.

  • NPC begins free birth registration exercise in Delta

    NPC begins free birth registration exercise in Delta

    The National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced free birth registration exercise for children between age zero and five in Delta State. Mrs Blessyn Brume-Ataguba, NPC Federal Commissioner, said at a press briefing on Wednesday, that the birth registration exercise would enhance planning, governance and service delivery.

    Brume-Ataguba, said that the free birth registration was a collaborative effort between NPC, UNICEF and the office of Nigeria’s  First Lady. She said that the exercise was to ensure proper registration of births, and to pave the way for improved governance, planning and service delivery.

    The commissioner said that the role of Civic Registration and Vital Statistics System (CRVS) to effective governance could not over emphasized. She said that the NPC as the custodian of vital records, had the responsibility of transforming the CRVS system into models of accuracy, accessibility and inclusiveness.

    “It is our mandate to ensure that every birth, death and significant life events are recorded accurately and promptly. They form the foundation upon which legal identity is established, ” she said

    She urged development partners and other stakeholders to support the commission in the actualisation of the free birth registration exercise.

    “Parents and guardians are urged to cooperate with the commission’s personnel who are engaged to carry out the exercise. We have trained 1,198 ad-hoc staff to carry out the exercise in the 25 local government areas of the state.

    ”Unless a person is registered, they do not exist in the eyes of the state. Rgegistration allows you to establish and protect identities, citizenship and property rights,” she said.

    In his remarks, the State Director of NPC, Mr Patrick Lotobi, said the first attempt at birth registration in Nigeria was through the promulgation of Ordinance No 21, at the Lagos Colony in 1863.

    “However, the first consensus to have a universal system of registration of births and deaths in Nigeria was in 1979. The Federal Government, in search of an alternative source of demographic data, promulgated the Birth and Death Compulsory Registration Decree, now Act 39 of 1979,” he said.

    In her part, the State Director, National Orientation Agency, Mrs Tracy Ikolomi, said that the agency would carry out a robust campaign to sensitise the people to the importance of birth registration.

  • Why parents should use our e-platform for birth registration – NPC

    Why parents should use our e-platform for birth registration – NPC

    The National Population Commission (NPC) has cautioned parents against patronising touts for birth certification registration of their children.

    Mr Ajibola Gafar, Head of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics of the commission, made the call at a two-day media dialogue on  E-birth registration, on Wednesday,  in Lagos.

    Gafar called on parents to maximise the e-birth registration to obtain genuine birth certificates  for their children and  do away with  third party issuing fake certificates .

    The media dialogue  was organised by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development and NPC.

    The media dialogue had the theme: “A Media dialogue to drive e-birth registration in Southwest”.

    According to Gafar, the commission is faced with activities of touts extorting money from  parents by issuing fake birth certificate.

    “We believe e-birth registration will also eliminate the activities of touts impersonating NPC officials,” he said.

    Also, Mr Isiaka Okesanjo, NPC Controller, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of  Lagos, said that birth registration and certificate from age zero to 18 was free, while  persons above 18 years of age would be given attestation of birth.

    According to him, this can be given only at the NPC state offices.

    Okesanjo said that while the  e-registration was faster, the manual registration was cumbersome and tiring.

    `We believe information captured under e-registration goes directly to cloud storage that can be accessed anytime.

    “In the event of natural disaster such as flood or fire incident, data stored through e-registration will still remain intact.

    “The commission is eager to move from present manual system to e-registration because of its advantages.

    “We have two methods of registration, active and passive; under the former method, people come to registrar’s office for registration, while under the latter, registrar goes out to various locations under active method.

    “As part of efforts to capture more children,we also work with traditional birth attendants, churches, mosques and primary healthcare centres,” he said.

    Okesanjo disclosed that no fewer than 1,363  children had been registered in the local government.

    He, however , said that  birth registration was higher  in rural areas than the  in urban areas.

    Okesanjo said this was due to the fact that people in the urban areas were  well informed on the benefits of family planning.

  • NPC ready to conduct census, waiting for presidential nod – Chairman

    NPC ready to conduct census, waiting for presidential nod – Chairman

    The National Population Commission (NPC), is prepared to conduct the National Population and Housing Census but awaiting President Bola Tinubu’s approval for a date, the Chairman, Mr Isa Kwarra, says.

    Kwarra said this on Monday in Abuja at a media conference, to herald the commemoration of the World Population Day 2024, marked on July 11 every year.

    This year’s celebration is themed: “Embracing the Power of Inclusive Data Towards a Resilient and Equitable Future for All”.

    According to Kwarra, the United Nations recommends that we conduct censuses every 10 years.

    “The 2020 round of census is ending this year. We will be making a hypothesis to make sure that we conduct the census before the 2020 round of census comes to an end.

    “I want to believe that we will get it right, we are just waiting on the president to give us the date, and the commission is ever prepared to do it once we have a date declared by the President.

    “The resources should be able to recruit extra hands to help us in conducting a very robust census that will provide inclusive data that is not just verifiable, but will be acceptable by all.

    “If we start now, we can achieve it; at least the 2020 round of census gives us an opportunity to extend up to April 2025.”

    He, however, said that the commission would prefer to carry out the exercise in November as that was what was planned for earlier in the year.

    Speaking about the importance of conducting the census, Kwarra said it would enable the nation have the right information/evidence/data for measuring and predicting likely demographic shifts.

    “We need to hold a census that will deploy modern technology to generate timely, reliable and acceptable data required for addressing the different needs of the various population groups.

    “Also, to implement interventions that will create opportunities for progress and remove barriers and inhibitions.”

    The Country Representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Gifty Addico, said that timely censuses would provide the baseline data needed to track progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Represented by the Deputy Country Representative, Mr Koessan Kuawu, Addico said that it would also help to formulate policies that addressed the diverse needs of Nigeria’s population.

    “In Nigeria, our delay to generate timely inclusive data through the Population and Housing Census and other exercises, have masked the progress made, so much so that obsolete data is being used to assess our progress made towards the SDGs.

    “Hence timely population and housing census represents a critical opportunity.

    “As we prepare to enter a new 2030 round of population and housing census era, we must ensure that our data generation exercises are prioritised and conducted timely and regularly.

    “We must be respectful of individual rights and accurately reflects the multifaceted experiences of all people.

    “I therefore call on Nigeria to build a resilient and equitable future, by prioritising investment in comprehensive population data systems, ensuring safe and inclusive data collection, collaborating with marginalised communities, leveraging technology responsibly, and supporting the national census.”

    The Chairman, Association of the Advancement of the Family Planning (AAFP), Dr Ejike Orji, said that without census data, the country was like a ship without a rudder for decision makers.

    He also said that having committed more than 70 per cent of the resources needed for the census if the exercise was not carried out, Nigeria would lose a lot.

    “So that is why we are appealing that government should make sure this happens. If it doesn’t happen, we’re in trouble.”

    Speaking to the theme of the day, the Statistician-General of the Federation, Mr Adeyemi Adeniran, said that it held a particular significance for Nigeria, a nation of immense potential and diverse demographics.

    “Inclusive data is the cornerstone of informed decision-making and policy development.

    “It provides us with the insights needed to understand the realities faced by different segments of our population and empowers us to design targeted interventions to address inequalities and disparities.

    He added that Nigeria’s population which was both diverse and vibrant presented both immense opportunities and significant challenges.

    However, to effectively harness the full potential of the demographic landscape, the nation needed data that was not only comprehensive but also inclusive.

  • 2023 census designed not to hold – NPC Commissioner

    2023 census designed not to hold – NPC Commissioner

    The Federal Commissioner representing Osun State at the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr Amidu Tadese has said the 2023 population and housing census contemplated by the Muhammadu Buhari Administration was designed not to hold.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Tadese to have said this while speaking with journalists in Osogbo, revealing that population census in Nigeria was too sensitive to be rushed.

    Recall the Federal Government had scheduled the population and housing census from May 3 to 6, 2023, before it was postponed after the general elections last year.

    Tadese said the exercise would have failed the integrity test considering the agitation that usually accompanies such exercise.

    “The last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari attempted to conduct a census in 2023, we don’t need to be told that the timing of last year’s census was designed ab initio not to hold because the government was supposed to depart on May 29.

    “The election just took place and people were still contending with several issues around it. Meanwhile, the census itself comes with a lot of complaints. We witnessed the 2006 census, where some states of the federation disagreed with the figure and went ahead to conduct an independent census of their citizens.

    “If another census was allowed to take place, the result would not have been accepted by the majority of the citizens. So, the then-president took the right decision by suspending it to allow the coming administration to settle down and address the issue,” he said.

  • REVEALED! FG working on new wage system based on productivity

    REVEALED! FG working on new wage system based on productivity

    The National Productivity Centre (NPC) has disclosed the Federal Government is formulating an innovative wage system that would be based on employee’s productivity.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Nasir Raji-Mustapha, Director-General of NPC made the disclosure on Monday during an interactive session with Labour Correspondents Association of Nigeria (LACAN) in Abuja.

    “We are in the process of developing a Productivity-based Wage System that will ensure that those who are productive are rewarded for their effort, irrespective of their grade level.

    “Under the proposed system, employees on the same salary scale can earn different wages,” Raji-Mustapha said.

    He, however, said that the centre was collaborating with the  organised labour to ensure that they support and contribute their inputs to the new proposal for a productivity-led wage system.

    He  said that the report for the first phase of the study was ready, adding that the next stage would be to engage  stakeholders to consider and make inputs before  presentation to the federal government for its consideration and  adoption.

    He said  the centre was collaborating with international agencies and organisations to ensure that productivity and skills of Nigerian workers are greatly improved to impact positively on the economy.

    He  said that productivity was a key factor in the growth of the country’s economy.

    Raji-Mustapha  said that the centre had done a lot in the area of productivity promotion and advocacy for youths, especially the  Corp members at the NYSC camps.

    The DG added that the NPC has resucitated preaching and promoting productivity at the NYSC camps.

    He  said the centre  has improved on its innovative “Productivity Lecture series for the Ministries and Departments and Agencies (MDAs)”.

    Mr Patrick Abulu, Acting Chairman of the association,  urged the DG   to continue to support journalists to make  their jobs  easy in reporting actvities of the centre.

  • Census: NPC has made substantial progress – Tinubu

    Census: NPC has made substantial progress – Tinubu

    President Bola Tinubu has disclosed the National Population Commission (NPC) has made substantial progress in the quest to deliver the first digital population and housing census.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports President Tinubu made the disclosure when he inaugurated the National Geospatial Data Repository Digital Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (CRVS) on Wednesday.

    Tinubu also inaugurated the National Coordination Committee for the CRVS, under the Chairman of the NPC and stakeholders across all Federal Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    In his address at the event on Wednesday in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President said that the CRVS would help improve service delivery, care and knowledge to Nigerians.

    “It is my honour to be here to launch a digital Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (e-CRVS), a National Geospatial, Data Respiratory and the inauguration of the CRVS National Coordination Committee approved.

    “This launch marks another great step in our efforts to generate accurate and reliable demographic data in Nigeria.

    “We can debate why now? Why not before now?

    “But let me commend the noble initiative of the National Population Commission (NPC).

    “The CRVS system is the basic building block of an identity ecosystem.

    “It will help to improve service delivery, care and knowledge to Nigerians and shall ultimately become vital source of identity data across federal agencies such as NIMS-C, NIS, road safety, police, EFCC and other security outfits.”

    He, therefore, appealed to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to support the initiative.

    “Don’t say this is not my business; please cooperate.”

    The President said that the system would improve the ability of the federal agencies to generate vital statistics on important population events and migration.

    According to him, the CRVS will enable the government to design a well tailored, effective and efficient policy capable of meeting the needs of the Nigerian people.

    “Let’s always thank God that this country has been blessed, and has been disaster free.

    “Sometimes when you see disaster even minor magnitude, involving the lives of our people, you cannot easily say these are how many people are involved.

    “It is hoped that the current drive to reposition this vital registration system will provide the basis for 100 per cent attainment of our year 2030 SDG targets in respect of real time identity management and population data.

    “For me, at this time, the Commission has made substantial progress in the quest to deliver the first digital population and housing census.

    “It is my hope that the result of the census will provide the nation with much needed data for development, planning and the enthronement of good governance.”

    He called on the NPC to deploy its cutting edge technology especially the geospatial data that had been collected, through the enumeration area, demarcation in implementing the CRVS.

    He noted that the population remained the greatest asset of the nation in the development process.

    According to him, collecting accurate and reliable information on the size, distribution, composition and characteristics of the population is an essential governance activity which is also consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

    “The Commission will, therefore, be supported and in the conduct of this next census.”

    He thanked the private solution providers for the laudable project and assured them that the Federal Government would always extend a hand of partnership to all private investors willing to partner with the government at all levels.

    “We are open for business and we are open for all possible partnerships in a way that will determine and redirect our progress development to upgrade the character of our country.

    “The ‘VitalReg’, they call it, I know is very special and I know the Director-General in charge; I have worked with her before.

    “Bisoye Odusote is a very hardworking lady that you can count on.

    “The prosperity of our nation is assured if we can do a reliable and dependable exercise,” President Tinubu said.

    In her goodwill message, UNICEF’s Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, commended Tinubu’s commitment to enhance civil registration data capturing, collation, processing, dissemination and access.

    “UNICEF remains steadfast in its support of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s endeavour to build a sustainable civil registration and vital statistics system.

    “We are committed to providing assistance to establish the necessary requirements for the successful compilation and processing of vital data,” Munduate said.

    For his part, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said Nigeria’s most important asset was its people, especially its children, present and generations yet unborn.

    Earlier, the Chairman of NPC, Nasir Kwarra said the inauguration of CRVS emphasised the commitment of the current administration to strengthen civil registration, data capturing, processing and timely access to vital statistics.

    According to him, the initiative aligns with the United Nations Legal Identity Agenda and resolutions of the African Ministers Conference held in Addis Ababa.

    Kwarra said that the conference advocated for a technological shift in data generation.

  • BREAKING: Tinubu makes 20 appointments in NPC [FULL LIST]

    BREAKING: Tinubu makes 20 appointments in NPC [FULL LIST]

    President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of twenty (20) qualified Nigerians to serve as Federal Commissioners in the National Population Commission (NPC).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports nine out of the 20 appointees are current Federal Commissioners being appointed to a second term in office.

    Those appointed include:

    1. Hon. Emmanuel Trump Eke — Abia
    2. Dr. Clifford Zirra — Adamawa — Reappointed
    3. Mr. Chidi Christopher Ezeoke — Anambra — Reappointed
    4. Barr. Isa Audu Buratai — Borno — Reappointed
    5. Bishop Alex Ukam — Cross River
    6. Ms. Blessyn Brume-Ataguba — Delta
    7. Dr. Jeremiah Ogbonna Nwankwegu — Ebonyi
    8. Dr. Tony Aiyejina — Edo — Reappointed
    9. Mr. Ejike Ezeh — Enugu — Reappointed
    10. Mr. Abubakar Damburam — Gombe — Reappointed
    11. Prof. Uba Nnabue — Imo — Reappointed
    12. Ms. Sa’adatu Dogon Bauchi Garba — Kaduna
    13. Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa — Kano
    14. Hon. Yori Afolabi — Kogi
    15. Hon. Olakunle Sobukola — Ogun
    16. Hon. Temitayo Oluseye Oluwatuyi — Ondo
    17. Sen. Mudashiru Hussain — Osun — Reappointed
    18. Ms. Mary Ishaya Afan — Plateau
    19. Mr. Ogiri Itotenaan Henry — Rivers
    20. Mr. Saany Sale — Taraba — Reappointed

    According to a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity, the President charged the new and returning NPC Federal Commissioners to successfully implement all measures taken by the administration to produce and effectively appropriate accurate population data with which lasting solutions to Nigeria’s socio-political and economic challenges can be conclusively developed and executed.

  • Postponed 2023 census: Items procured available for scrutiny – NPC

    Postponed 2023 census: Items procured available for scrutiny – NPC

    The Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Alhaji Nasir Kwarra, has assured that the N200 billion spent on the postponed 2023 census was judiciously utilised and items procured available for scrutiny.

    Kwarra said this on Thursday in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, while fielding questions from journalists on the sideline of the opening ceremony of the Training Interviewers for the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

    The House of Representatives had on Wednesday sought to investigate the N200 billion spent on preparations for the postponed 2023 census by NPC.

    The NPC boss said the procurement preparatory processes for the census were enduring and items procured durable as they would be used for the next census because they are readily available.

    “We don’t have to procure these items again and the training that we have conducted remains with the people we trained, the facilitators, the supervisors and the enumerators.

    “So, what we may need to do is to do a refresher training for the trial census that we did because it’s been more than a year; we will do a similar thing, but maybe the scope will be reduced because we don’t have to go all out again and conduct a full blown trial census.

    “So, most things are in place, right from the Personal Digital Assistants procured are well secured in our various Central Bank of Nigeria offices nationwide.”

    The chairman added that other facilities such as manuals for the training, the ICT equipment, data centres have been continually developed and that the commission is on course for the census.

    He, however, said that he believes that the nation still needs the census because the issue of security depends on it.

    He said “no matter what, we need this data so that we can plan for the development of the country, including addressing the issue of security.”

    On the importance of the NDHS, Kwarra said that over the years, the survey stood as a beacon of reliable, comprehensive data, providing policymakers, actionable researchers and stakeholders with insights to make informed decisions.

    He added that “every cycle of the NDHS brings not only its own set of challenges, but opportunities to redefine the narrative for health and social demographics in Nigeria.

    “The importance of what we are about to undertake cannot be overstated. The stakes are high; the information we gather and the insights we develop have the capability to influence health and social policies, not just for the immediate future, but for a long time to come.

    “It is not simply about numbers and data; it’s about human lives, about the wellbeing of our communities and the future trajectory of our nation.”

    The chairman told the interviewers that as key players in the project, the success of the NDHS hinges on the quality, authenticity and precision of the information they gather.

    Mr Ishaku Maigida, the Director, Field Services and Methodology, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said that the data going to be generated and produced would help to bridge the gap on availability of data on nutrition, particularly among children and women within the reproductive age.

    He assured that NBS would continually collaborate with the commission and any other agency working toward data generation to ensure reliable data.

    Dr Chris Isokpunwu, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said that the NDHS is an important source of information for the health sector, setting a baseline for government’s performance on health.

    He said “the survey is being conducted by Nigerians and owned by Nigeria because the NPC is conducting it and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is providing technical support.

    “When the result comes out, it will be a Nigerian result, so we have to make it an accurate one such that external persons will agree that we have conducted a good survey.

    “Therefore, I want you to know that this is a national assignment and our national reputation is also at stake and this is one survey that you will be proud of.

    “Please take this training seriously because it’s going to be important when you go to the field; do not be tempted to cook or forge results because decisions are made based on those results and when that happens, you may be the one affected.”

    Dr Joy Ufere, the World Health Orgainsation’s Technical Adviser on Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health/Healthy Aging, said that the survey is important as the world is almost six years toward the  attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    According to her, Nigeria is signatory to the SDGs and the survey will tell if the nation is getting closer to achieving the goals or not.

    She added that “this survey will also tell us the number of Nigerians reached to ensure that we provide Universal Health Coverage.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NDHS is expected to produce data on infant and child mortality, health of women and maternal mortality.

    It will be carried out by collecting data from 42,000 households in 1400 clusters within and across the 774 local government areas of the country.

    It will involve collecting data from women of reproductive age from 15 to 49 years and men 15 to 69 years.

    Also, the height and weight of children under the age of five years will be determined, as well as the extent of wasting and stunting in children so that policy and programmes will be tailored toward addressing identified health issues.

  • Reps to investigate N200bn expenditure on postponed 2023 census

    Reps to investigate N200bn expenditure on postponed 2023 census

    The House of Representatives, says it will investigate the N200 billion expended on the postponed 2023 census by the National Population Commission (NPC).

    The resolution to investigate the NPC’s expenditure was sequel to a unanimous adoption of a motion co-sponsored by Rep. Dominic Okafor (APGA- Anambra) and Rep. Patrick Umoh (APC-Akwa Ibom) at plenary on Wednesday.

    Okafor, who moved the motion, said “census provides accurate population data crucial for development planning, policy formulation, resource allocation, and government programme implementation.”

    He said that census was most necessary especially at a time when the Federal Government in conjunction with State Governments were working on giving palliatives to vulnerable citizens and also planning other social services.

    The Rep member said that the NPC had the mandate to conduct periodic census surveys, and other methods to enumerate the country’s population and to provide data for national planning and economic development.

    Okafor recalled that a national census was last conducted in Nigeria in 2006 and the 2023 census, but that the was to have held scheduled in May 2023, was postponed by the commission.

    According to him, the data collected in the 2006 census is far from reality today and cannot validly form a solid base for the formation of national economic policies that will aid the federal government in administering viable national planning.

    “The commission has admitted to having spent N200 billion of the N800 billion budgeted for the planning mid-execution of the 2023 population and housing census, which was postponed.

    “The financial investment in 2023 population census planning would have improved economic planning and distribution of palliatives in the country.

    “If the population and housing census fails to take place within 12 months, the information gathered across the country would become stale, a waste of resources and the country would have to increase costs of gathering fresh information,” he said.

    He said that the Chairman of the commission, Alhaji Nasir Kwarra, had expressed readiness to conduct a population and housing census during a visit to President Bola Tinubu on July 6, 2023.

    The green chambers urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a date for the conduction of 2023 population and housing census to facilitate accurate economic planning.

    The house urged the Federal Government to, upon fixing a date for the census, constitute Census Tribunals in designated centres in accordance with Section 28 of the National Population Commission, Act, 2004.

    The lawmakers charged the NPC not to relent in its preparation for the 2023 population and housing census.

    In his ruling, the Speaker of the house,  Tajudeen Abbas, mandated the Committee on Population to investigate the money expended on the postponed 2023 population.

    He asked the committee to  liaise with the NPC to ensure a successful population and housing census when proclaimed.