Senator Aniekan Bassey of Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District, alongside members of the Senate Committee on National Population and Identity, led by Senator Ahmed Abdul Ningi, paid a critical oversight visit to the National Population Commission (NPC) Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
According to Senator Bassey, the visit afforded the Committee the opportunity to evaluate the NPC’s 2023 and 2024 budget performance and addressed the urgent need for the nation’s long-overdue national Population and Housing Census.
He further explained that findings by the Committee showed that the country has not conducted a census in 18 years, leading to significant data gaps that undermine policy development and implementation.
Senator Bassey also spoke on the importance of accurate population data for effective governance and the urgent need for a census, noting that the prolonged delay has hampered Nigeria’s ability to plan for economic growth, social services, and infrastructure development.
The NPC Chairman, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, who received the Senators, in the company of Federal Commissioners, the Director-General, and other officials, assured the Senate Committee of the Commission’s readiness to conduct a credible census.
Media Unit
Office of the Senator
Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District