The Senate has affirmed that the long-awaited population and housing census scheduled for November this year will proceed as planned. During the screening of 17 out of the 19 commissioner-nominees for the National Population Commission (NPC) in Abuja, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Identity and Population, Senator Ningi, emphasized the significance of conducting the census and the need for political will to ensure its success.

Ningi highlighted the importance of the census in national planning and expressed concerns over Nigeria's failure to conduct a census in the last 11 years. He stressed the necessity for the President to declare the census date to garner international support and emphasized that 75% of the logistics, including machine deployment and personnel training, have been completed.

He underscored the fundamental role of the population census in human development and national planning, emphasizing that without accurate census data, effective planning becomes challenging. Ningi urged the commissioner-nominees to recognize the importance of their assignment and the need for a unified approach to the census, devoid of regional or ethnic competition.

The Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Kwarra, expressed gratitude for the long-awaited screening and explained the absence of two nominees, one of whom had been appointed Secretary to the State Government of Ondo, and the other had contested and won a House of Assembly election.

During the presentation, Sa’adatu Dogon Bauchi, the nominee for Kaduna State, appreciated the inclusion of women among the nominees and pledged to contribute her best to ensure the success of the census.

The nominees who were screened included representatives from various states, and despite the absence of two nominees, the screening process proceeded as planned.

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