The Federal Government of Nigeria has proposed N1.1 billion in the 2025 budget for the long-awaited national population and housing census. This figure marks an increase from the N693.3 million allocated in the 2024 budget.
In addition to the N1.1 billion, there are other census-related allocations amounting to N527 million, which are also included in the 2025 budget. These funds will be used for various activities critical to the successful conduct of the census.
Some of the census-related expenditures include:
- N78 million for the national population data bank, Nigerian population database management system, geo-portal hosting, and the population website.
- N2.7 million for preparing the Enumeration Area Demarcation concept manual.
- N10 million for census programs in schools.
- N25 million for conducting the second pretest.
- N10 million for stakeholders’ conferences presenting the 2018 census instrument.
- N2.5 million for developing small area and Enumeration Area (EA) level databases for spatial analysis and dissemination.
- N2 million for field demarcation in 774 local government areas.
- N17.7 million for intercensal population activities, including surveys and demographic health research.
- N247.3 million for publicity and advocacy, using print and electronic media to promote population-related programs.
- N40 million for research, documentation, and archiving, focusing on special populations like herders, fishermen, homeless persons, and migrant farmers.
- N2.3 million for cartographic consumables for the Enumeration Area Demarcation exercise.
- N90 million for commemorating World Population Day and Annual Population Census Day.
Nigeria’s last census was held in 2006, despite a United Nations recommendation that countries conduct such counts every ten years. The national census, originally scheduled for May 2023, was postponed indefinitely during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. At the time, the National Population Commission (NPC) estimated that N532.7 billion would be required to conduct the census, a figure later revised to N869 billion. Despite the delay, the NPC reported spending N200 billion on planning and partial execution.
NPC Chairman Nasir Kwarra expressed optimism in November 2024 that the Presidency would approve the conduct of the census in 2025.
