The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Aminu Yusuf, has called for the establishment of a Population Trust Fund dedicated to avoiding chronic delays in Nigeria’s national census.
Speaking on Wednesday at the 13th Annual Population Lecture Series (APLS) in Abuja, Yusuf said the fund would ensure timely planning and execution of censuses, which constitutionally should be conducted every 10 years.
The conference, titled ‘Emerging Realities of Global Finance: Impact on Population Activities and Need for Innovative Domestic Resource Mobilization’, provided a platform for policy makers and experts to discuss strategies for sustainable population management.
“The creation of a Population Trust Fund is critical to our reform agenda,” Yusuf said.
“It will strengthen the commission’s independence and ensure that funding gaps no longer disrupt census operations.”
He added that the decline in global development assistance has made domestic resource mobilization increasingly critical for key population activities, including health, education and data systems.
Also speaking, Representative Kwamoti Laori, National President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN), highlighted the effects of the global funding shift on maternal and reproductive health services.
Represented by Chief Executive Dr Haruna Aku, Laori said the absence of legislation mandating census intervals has contributed to the delays, noting that almost two decades have passed without a national count. “Unreliable data is exacerbating security challenges, including banditry and kidnappings,” he warned.
Dr Aminu Magashi, founder of the African Health Budget Network (AHBN), highlighted the urgency of demographic management, pointing to projections that Nigeria’s population could reach 400 million by 2050.
“With 70 percent of citizens under the age of 30, he said, the country already faces challenges in education, health, family planning and contraceptive use,” he said.
Magashi called for full implementation of the National Population Policy, dedicated budget lines for population initiatives and close collaboration between state commissioners and governors to ensure consistent funding.
He also urged policymakers to integrate demographic issues into national security planning.
Ms. Edna Azura, National President of the National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS), emphasized the importance of well-funded demographic programs for maternal health, girls’ education, gender-based violence prevention and economic empowerment.
He advocated for greater internal resource mobilization, public-private partnerships and community participation, and pledged the NCWS’s support for the NPC’s efforts to improve data accuracy, promote responsible population management and promote gender-responsive planning.
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