ABUJA, Nigeria — The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has called on the Federal Government to urgently organize and execute a fresh national Population and Housing Census, pointing out that the nation has now spent two full decades without conducting the critical demographic exercise.
Kwankwaso made the formal demand in a public statement shared on his official X account on July 11, 2026, to coincide with the global observance of World Population Day. According to the political leader, the continuous reliance on the historic data gathered during the distant 2006 census severely handicaps contemporary public administration, hindering accurate planning in essential sectors such as public education, healthcare delivery, national security, infrastructure development, employment creation, and federal resource allocation.
The opposition politician argued that the persistent absence of updated, verified population statistics directly compromises effective governance and prevents equitable development across the country's diverse regions. He noted that using severely outdated baseline figures for critical nationwide decisions creates a mismatch between public policy and the actual needs of the citizenry.
Stressing that accurate and current demographic statistics are fundamental pillars for sustainable development, national security, and inclusive economic growth, Kwankwaso urged the federal administration to prioritize a credible, transparent, and technology-driven national enumeration exercise without further delay. He concluded by asserting that the period for administrative excuses has expired, calling for immediate executive action to address the census backlog.
