Health
NASS To Push Bill For Fixed 10-year Census Cycle- Sen. Umeh
By Folasade Akpan
Sen. Victor Umeh, Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Identity and Population, says the National Assembly will initiate legislation to guarantee the conduct of Nigeria’s population and housing census at fixed 10-year cycles.
Umeh disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the commemoration of the 2026 World Population Day, with the theme, “Realising the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People -Today and for the Future.”
He said although census was conventionally conducted every 10 years, the cycle was not constitutionally guaranteed, making the exercise vulnerable to postponements.
“As the chairman said, it is left for us to fill that gap that needs to firmly establish the time for conduct of census in our constitution.
“There is no reason why we should not put the interval for conduct of national census in the constitution,” he said.
Umeh noted that Nigeria last conducted a census in 2006, leaving the country to rely on projections that no longer reflected demographic realities.
“The last census we had was in 2006, which is 20 years ago. Many people have died since then and many people have been born.
“How do you now know this gap? We continue to say about 250 million people. We may have shrunk, we may have increased; I don’t know,” he said.
Umeh assured the National Population Commission (NPC) of the National Assembly’s full legislative backing, saying lawmakers would support all legal reforms required to strengthen the commission’s operations.
He said the proposed bill would not only provide for a fixed census cycle but also establish a dedicated funding mechanism to ensure adequate resources were set aside ahead of every census, thereby eliminating the need for last-minute funding requests.
He also assured that the proposed bill would be introduced when lawmakers resume from recess in September.
Also supporting the proposal, the Chairman of NPC, Dr Aminu Yusuf, said conducting a census at fixed intervals would eliminate uncertainty surrounding the exercise.
“Nothing hinders election after every four years because it is guaranteed. If it becomes clear that every 10 years there will be a census, no government will say there will be no census,” he said.
Yusuf said the conversation was timely because Nigeria, with an estimated population of more than 238 million people, remained Africa’s most populous country and the sixth most populous nation globally.
He said about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population was under the age of 30, making investments in young people central to harnessing the country’s demographic dividend.
“The question before Nigeria is not whether we have a youthful population. We do.
“The question is: Are we investing sufficiently in our young people to transform this demographic reality into sustainable national prosperity?” he asked.
According to him, failure to invest adequately in education, healthcare, skills development and employment could turn the country’s youthful population into a source of unemployment, insecurity and social pressure.
The Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Mr Anthony Chukwuka, described Nigeria’s youthful population as one of the country’s greatest strategic assets.
He said the ministry was implementing programmes on digital literacy, entrepreneurship, agribusiness, climate resilience and youth health to improve young people’s prospects.
“Today’s young people are not merely the leaders of tomorrow. They are partners in nation-building today,” he said.
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Mohamed Fall, said Nigeria’s 73 million young people represented the country’s greatest resource.
“The gap between aspiration and reality is not inevitable; it is a product of inequality, and inequality can be changed,” he said.
Fall who was represented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Resident Representative, Ms Muriel Mafico, called for greater investments in education, sexual and reproductive health, decent jobs and meaningful participation of young people in decision-making.
Speaking on behalf of Nigerian youths, 15-year-old Miss Ivana Ituado said young people were ready to contribute to national development but required opportunities rather than promises.
“Nigeria’s last population and housing census was conducted in 2006. That means many young Nigerians, including me, were not even born by the time the country last conducted the census.
“Accurate and inclusive census data are not merely numbers on a page, they help determine our future,” she said.
She urged government to move beyond speeches by investing in education, healthcare, leadership opportunities and accurate population data to ensure every young Nigerian was counted and empowered.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Population Day is observed annually on July 11 to raise awareness on population issues and promote actions that improve the health, rights and well-being of people, particularly women and young persons.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
