NPC AND NASRDA FORGE PARTNERSHIP FOR UPCOMING CENSUS

Today, 11th June 2025, the Chairman of National Population Commission (NPC), Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, received in audience the Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Matthew Olumide Adepoju, and his management team at the NPC Headquarters in Abuja.

Discussions at the meeting centered on exploring collaborative opportunities in geospatial data integration, population mapping, and leveraging satellite technologies to support the upcoming biometric Population and Housing Census.

In his remarks, NPC Chairman, Hon. Kwarra expressed gratitude for the visit and emphasized the importance of collaboration. "We have been partners, but we need to strengthen it. The NPC cannot conduct the census alone; we rely on invaluable support from NASRDA and other agencies to ensure a successful, reliable, and acceptable census that will provide essential data for national planning and development," he stated.

Hon. Kwarra assured the NASRDA delegation that their staff would be included as Census functionaries, ensuring that they share in the success of the census once completed.

Addressing concerns raised by Dr. Adepoju regarding NASRDA's exclusion from the Presidential Census Committee, Hon. Kwarra clarified that the committee's role is to streamline the census budget and identify funding sources. He reiterated that the NPC holds the constitutional mandate to conduct the census, but will collaborate with crucial partners such as NASRDA to ensure a successful exercise.

Hon. Kwarra commended NASRDA’s initiative to launch two new satellites, noting that this advancement would enhance the NPC’s capacity to update its geospatial data in preparation for the upcoming census.

Earlier, DG NASRDA, Dr. Adepoju praised the NPC for its achievements in geospatial data generation, attributing these successes to effective leadership and accountability. He underscored the NPC's critical role in governance and national development, highlighting the importance of accurate and recent census data for effective distribution of palliative and resolving issues such as ward delineation disputes in the Warri Area Councils.

Pledging NASRDA's support for the NPC, Dr. Adepoju emphasized the necessity of using up-to-date satellite imagery for the census, revealing that part of the reasons for launching the new satellites is to provide support for evidence-based census exercise. He stated, "For the NPC to conduct the next census, it cannot rely on satellite imagery older than two years. We are prepared to provide recent high-resolution imagery, let's say six or three months prior to the upcoming census to ensure accuracy in the exercise."

Dr. Adepoju reflected on NASRDA's pivotal role in the 2006 Population and Housing Census and expressed confidence in the NPC’s preparedness for the upcoming exercise. "With the level of readiness and professionalism within the NPC, I am optimistic that the next census will be credible," he concluded.

The meeting was attended by NPC Federal Commissioners, Director-General, Directors, and technical staff, marking a significant step toward a collaborative effort in ensuring the success of the forthcoming census.