President Tinubu rejects outrageous Census budget, proposes use of NYSC members

President Tinubu rejects outrageous Census budget, proposes use of NYSC members

In a significant move aimed at reducing government spending, President Bola Tinubu has turned down a N942 billion proposal from the National Population Commission (NPC) for conducting the upcoming national housing and population census.

The proposal, which was presented to the President during a meeting on February 24, 2025, at the State House, faced scrutiny due to its hefty financial demands.

According to sources close to the discussions, President Tinubu made it clear that fiscal prudence would be prioritized.

He emphasized the need for the NPC to explore cost-cutting alternatives in order to align the census with the nation’s current economic constraints.

The meeting, led by NPC Chairman Nasir Kwarra, saw Tinubu suggest a creative solution—deploying members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to assist with the census process. This proposal, insiders say, was part of the President’s broader vision to ensure that the census is carried out efficiently while remaining within the government’s financial limits.

In response to the presentation, President Tinubu assured the NPC officials that a committee would be established to review the budget, ensuring it better reflects the government’s financial realities.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement titled, ‘Nigeria moves closer to fresh census, President Tinubu to set up committee,’ quoted
Tinubu as saying “This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. So, we better have a definite path.
Tinubu was quoted to have said further, “I will set up a committee for you to look at the issues critically and do a source and application of resources. Where can we get help, and what can we lift before we embark on proclamation?”
Revealing more details on the development one of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that while the President wanted the census to be conducted, he insisted that the cost must be reduced.
The government official said, “The main issue from that meeting was that the money they were proposing was quite much. It is around N942bn. That is almost N1tn. And the President felt that it was too much. That is why he said there would be a committee to look at the issues altogether because that cost must come down.

“He wants to do it. He wants the census to happen. But the cost is too high. His goal is that they should do it for less.”

Another insider at the meeting further revealed that Tinubu suggested a massive deployment of NYSC members nationwide to cut personnel costs.
“He was even suggesting that they recruit youth corps members to make it cheaper,” the official revealed.