The National Population Commission (NPC) has called for stronger collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to ensure widespread public awareness and participation in the forthcoming National Population and Housing Census.
NPC Chairman, Dr. Aminu Yusuf, made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
The visit aimed to strengthen institutional synergy and enhance media partnerships ahead of the census, which has yet to be scheduled following its last-minute postponement by the previous administration.
Dr. Yusuf commended the Ministry and its agencies—particularly the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Voice of Nigeria (VON), and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)—for their pivotal roles in previous census advocacy and public mobilization efforts.
“This collective effort clearly demonstrated how coordinated government communication can build trust, stimulate participation, and promote national ownership of vital public programmes,” Yusuf stated.
He assured the Minister that despite the delay, the Commission remains operationally focused and technically prepared to conduct a transparent, credible, and acceptable census once a new date is announced.
Beyond the census, Yusuf highlighted the NPC’s ongoing efforts to deepen the implementation of the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system to ensure real-time registration of births and deaths nationwide—a critical tool for national planning in health, education, and social development.
In his response, Minister Mohammed Idris Malagi reaffirmed the Ministry’s full commitment to supporting the NPC’s communication and advocacy efforts toward a successful census.
He stressed that credible population data is indispensable for effective governance and evidence-based planning.
“Data is key to whatever planning you intend to do. If you can’t measure, you can’t manage, and if you can’t plan, the results are predictable. Therefore, census is not optional for us,” Malagi stated.
The Minister, who chairs the National Publicity Committee for the census, noted that President Bola Tinubu would proclaim a new census date at the appropriate time, following due process.
“We are waiting for the President’s proclamation, which is the basis for the legal and financial framework of the exercise,” he added, assuring that the Ministry and its agencies stand ready to provide full media and communication support once the announcement is made.
Dr. Yusuf was accompanied on the visit by the NPC Director-General, Dr. Osifo Tellson Ojogun, as well as directors and senior technical aides of the Commission.
