Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, has emphasised that dependable population data is vital for Nigeria’s development, noting that accurate demographic information is key to effective planning and policymaking.
According to a statement issued by the ministry on Sunday, Bagudu made the remarks during a familiarisation visit by the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Aminu Yusuf, who led federal commissioners and senior officials of the commission to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
The minister said the administration of Bola Tinubu recognises the importance of reliable population statistics in tackling Nigeria’s development issues and guiding sound public policies.
He explained that dependable demographic data plays a crucial role in national planning, fair distribution of resources and the development of policies that reflect the needs of citizens.
Bagudu said, “If we truly want to solve Nigeria’s problems, we must be deliberate about understanding and organising our resources, especially our people.”
He further noted that development strategies should be informed by precise information about where people live, their living conditions and the opportunities available in their communities.
“There is no community in Nigeria without potential,” he said, adding that credible population figures would promote fairness and transparency within Nigeria’s federal system by providing a reliable foundation for planning and resource allocation.
Speaking earlier, NPC Chairman Yusuf explained that the visit was intended to deepen cooperation between the commission and the ministry to support national planning efforts.
He said the commission is constitutionally responsible for producing accurate demographic data to aid national planning and sustainable development.
According to him, the commission carries out population and housing censuses, manages the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system and generates population statistics used for policy formulation.
Yusuf also revealed that the commission is working on a modern, technology-driven integrated population data management system. This includes preparations for a credible population and housing census, as well as expanding and digitising the civil registration system to ensure continuous registration of births and deaths across the country.
