By Henry Umoru, ABUJA

THE Senate has taken a swipe at the National Population Commission, NPC, for failing to conduct population headcount in the country in 19 years.

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It also expreseed its displeasure over lack of credible data and statistics for thorough and specific planning in the country due to lack of head counts over the years.

According to the Senate, the situation is turning Nigeria into a laughing stock in the comity of nations with credible data for proper planning and not trial and error projections.

Consequently, it declared that the national census must hold in Nigeria this year.

Senate’s resolution, yesterday, came during the budget defence before the Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) led Senate Committee on National Identity Card and Population by chairman of National Population Commission, NPC, Nasir Isa Kwarra, who told the lawmakers that biometric model of headcount was being worked on.

In his presentation, the NPC boss said in 2024, total budgetary provision for the commission was N12.7 billion, out of which N1.17 billion was earmarked for capital vote; N818.9million for overhead; and N10.8billion for personnel cost.

For the 2025 fiscal year, the NPC chairman said the commission budgeted a total sum of N18,277,594,693,00 as 2025 capital budget; overhead budget of N1,173, 647,529.00; and N17.7 billion.for capital votes .

According to him, the commission has budgeted a total sum of N1,100,000,000.00 for the National population and housing census in the 2025 budget; N350,000,000.00 fof expansion of registration centres; and registration of birth and death, ad hoc registration,   etc, N4,000,000,000.00 for the purchase of official vehicles for HFCs and N12,000,000,000.00 for the construction of permanent office building.

All the members of the committee lamented the lack of head counts in the country in the past 19 years .

Senator Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central), on his part, said he felt bad as a Nigerian and leader about his country not having credible data on population of its citizenry.

He said:  “I feel very bad that we are still living on estimated population figures; I feel bad that we are still postulating and relying on data supplied by foreign bodies which is more or less , demeaning us among comity of nations. 

“We want to know our population. Nigeria should be counted this year.”

In his comments, the Deputy Minority leader of the Senate who doubles as vice chairman of the committee,   Senator Olalere Oyewumi, PDP Osun West, urged NPC to   put everything in place for the population headcount to hold this year.

He said:  “2025 budget of NPC should revolve around population census, which must be done this year because the demographic characteristics of the population figures being bandied about the country now are not known.

“NPC should get its act together for the President to make proclamation on the population census which in itself  will facilitate provisions for the desired money.”

In his remarks, chairman of the committee, Senator Ningi, who emphasised the importance of the exercise, said the committee would, through the President of the Senate, write President Bola Tinibu on the need for the exercise this year.

Responding, NPC chairman, who explained that the President was not against population head count but wanted it done biometrically, said: “President Bola Tinubu is obviously on the same page with members of this committee on the need for population head count.

“But the assignment he has given us is that  all machineries and facilities should be put in place for the very important exercise to be done biometrically.’’

The committee, accordingly, approved the budgetary proposal.