The National Population Commission (NPC) has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a credible, transparent, and technology-driven Population and Housing Census, as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s data systems and support national development planning.
The commission made this known in a statement on Tuesday following a meeting between the NPC Chairman, Aminu Yusuf, and members of the Population Advisory Group (PAG) at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja—his first formal engagement with the body since assuming office.
Yusuf described the advisory group as a critical pillar in the implementation of the National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development, stressing that effective population management remains central to Nigeria’s economic and social progress.
“The Population Advisory Group plays a strategic role in ensuring that population and development issues are effectively mainstreamed into national planning, budgeting, and governance,” he said.
He emphasised that population management should not be viewed as a routine bureaucratic exercise, but as a collective national responsibility requiring broad collaboration.
“Population management is not a bureaucratic routine but a national mission that demands trust, dialogue, and collaboration,” Yusuf stated.
The NPC chairman assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver a technologically advanced census, describing the forthcoming exercise as one of the most complex yet essential responsibilities of government.
He also disclosed plans to digitise the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system nationwide, noting that the initiative would create an integrated digital platform to support national identity management, social inclusion, and evidence-based policymaking.
Yusuf further pledged to reposition the NPC as Nigeria’s leading demographic think tank, capable of producing high-quality data and research to guide public policy formulation.
“Through stronger partnerships with government agencies, academia, and development partners, we will ensure that national policies are guided by credible evidence, not assumptions,” he said.
Highlighting Nigeria’s evolving demographic landscape—marked by rapid urbanisation, changing fertility trends, and a youthful population—Yusuf said effective population management was vital to addressing challenges in education, healthcare, housing, and employment.
Responding on behalf of the Population Advisory Group, its spokesperson, Ambassador Usman Sarki, commended Yusuf’s leadership and reaffirmed the group’s commitment to supporting the commission’s mandate.
“Our visit is a courtesy call to recognise your dual role as Chairman of both the NPC and the PAG, and to affirm our readiness to work closely with you in advancing the commission’s mission,” Sarki said.
He reaffirmed the PAG’s support for the implementation of the Revised National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development, stressing the importance of institutional collaboration and shared responsibility.
Sarki described the advisory group as a high-level body made up of eminent Nigerians from the six geopolitical zones, providing strategic guidance, supporting resource mobilisation, and promoting stakeholder engagement.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning, Dr Ejike Oji, urged the NPC to work with relevant stakeholders to encourage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to convene a meeting of the National Council on Population Management before the end of February.
He said such a meeting would enable timely decisions on key population and development priorities.
The meeting was attended by members of the Population Advisory Group, federal commissioners, the NPC Director-General, senior management staff, and technical officials.
