BY DAVID ADUGE -ANI
The National Population Commission (NPC) has retracted it’s earlier statement where the commission’s chairman, Isa Kwara, announced that the much delayed national census will be conducted in 2025
Kwarra announced the new date, when he spoke at the 2024 anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development held in Abuja.
“A major setback that we face is the delay in conducting a population and housing census. A reliable and accurate census is fundamental for good decision-making
“But the government, at the highest level, is committed to conducting a census, and we believe it will take place next year,” the NPC chairman stated at the event
But in a retraction of the contentious new date, the commission stated in a statement that there is no plan to conduct the next census in 2025.
In a statement on Friday by Erelu Oloruntoba, NPC acting director of public affairs, he said the commission has not made any official announcement on the issue.
Oloruntoba explained that only the president has the power to make such proclamation, as NPC is only constitutionally mandated to conduct census.
He added that Kwarra’s remarks was “taken out of context by individuals seeking to mislead the public and drive traffic to their sites”.
Oloruntoba said the commission is in talks with the presidency to determine a new date, noting that preparations are underway regarding the timeline of the next census.
“The attention of National Population Commission (NPC) has been drawn to misleading reports circulating online, which falsely suggest that the Chairman, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, has announced that the next Population and Housing Census in Nigeria will take place in 2025,” the statement reads.
“We wish to clarify that no official announcement regarding the date of the upcoming census has been made. The Chairman’s remarks have been taken out of context by individuals seeking to mislead the public and drive traffic to their sites rather than provide accurate information.
“To put the record straight, during a media interaction at the 30th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Abuja, the NPC Chairman addressed the pressing issue of significant data gaps in Nigeria that impede the tailoring of reproductive health services and interventions to specific demographic groups.
“We urge the public to seek verified information from official NPC channels rather than relying on unsubstantiated claims.”