BY CHARLES CHIJIOKE
The Nigerian Senate has expressed satisfaction with the screening of seven presidential nominees for appointment as federal commissioners in the National Population Commission (NPC), describing the exercise as timely for national development planning.
Speaking after the exercise, Chairman of the Senate Committee, Victor Umeh, who represents Anambra Central said the nominees forwarded by Bola Ahmed Tinubu would fill existing vacancies and strengthen the commission ahead of a planned national census.
The ADC Senator stressed the urgency of credible population data, noting that the NPC, which has representatives from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, plays a central role in national planning.
“There is no way a country can plan for development without accurate data about its population,” he said.
Umeh added that different segments of the population including children, youths, working-age adults, and the elderly require targeted policies that can only be driven by reliable demographic figures.
Umeh also highlighted concerns over Nigeria’s population estimates, often placed between 220 million and 250 million, describing them as speculative and reinforcing the need for a scientifically conducted census.
According to him, although a Presidential Advisory Committee had been inaugurated to lay the groundwork for the exercise, implementation was delayed due to the election cycle. Despite this, he noted that preparations are ongoing, with authorities expecting the census to be conducted after the elections, alongside a housing census to determine Nigeria’s housing deficit and guide interventions.
Commending the nominees, Umeh said: “They are well experienced, well educated, and fit for the job.”
The nominees screened by the Senate include Kolawole Oladipupo (Ekiti), Nasiru Mu’azu (Zamfara), Usuman Abubakar Tuggar (Bauchi), Dr. Osaka Alada Yahaya (Kwara), Suleiman Umar (Jigawa), Prof. Sadiq Isah Raddah (Katsina), and Hon. Chiso Abdullahi Dattijo (Sokoto).
The Senate is expected to submit its report for final confirmation of the nominees in plenary.
