By Joy Odor-Abuja
Abuja was the epicentre of a quiet but consequential power shift on December 3, 2025, as Dr. Aminu Yusuf (Talban Wushishi) formally assumed office as Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC) with a sweeping reform agenda that could redefine how Nigeria counts its people, plans its future and manages its exploding population.
Inside the Commission’s headquarters meeting room, the mood was not ceremonial, it was strategic.
From Federal Commissioners and international development partners to senior bureaucrats and journalists, the audience watched as Nigeria’s new chief custodian of demographic data laid out a bold, high-stakes blueprint for what he called a national “reset” of population governance.
Fresh from his swearing-in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr. Yusuf struck a solemn tone, framing his appointment not as a personal triumph but as a national burden of trust.
He revealed that the President’s charge was unequivocal: rebuild confidence in Nigeria’s population data, modernise demographic systems and deliver a census that is credible, digital, transparent and globally defensible.
“This census will not just count people,” he declared. “It will shape policies, drive development and guide the destiny of our nation.”
Dr. Yusuf paid a glowing tribute to his predecessor, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, crediting him with strengthening the institutional foundations of the Commission, but he made it clear that admiration for the past would not slow the aggressive pace of reforms ahead.
What followed was not the usual vague promises that trail public office assumption speeches. Instead, the new NPC chairman rolled out a detailed Seven-Point Strategic Agenda, a roadmap that touches every nerve of Nigeria’s demographic architecture.
At the heart of the reform is a push to rebuild public confidence in population data an area long plagued by controversy, suspicion and political tension.
Dr. Yusuf announced an expansive stakeholder engagement drive targeting state governments, traditional rulers, civil society, media, academia, religious institutions and global partners such as UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO.
His message was blunt: population governance is not a bureaucratic ritual, it is a national mission.
Perhaps the most politically sensitive component of the agenda is the long-awaited population and housing census.
Dr. Yusuf promised a census that will be fully digital, biometrically verified and globally compliant, from Enumeration Area Demarcation to Post-Enumeration Surveys.
Every phase, he warned, will be subjected to tight quality controls and international best practices.
In a country where census figures shape federal allocations, political representation and economic planning, the stakes could not be higher.
“This will be a census Nigerians can trust,” he said.
The NPC chairman also unveiled a massive overhaul of Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system, targeting full nationwide digitization.
With over 4,000 registration centres to be expanded and integrated with health institutions, NIMC and state governments, the aim is near-universal registration of births and deaths.
Beyond identity, he revealed plans to modernise Nigeria’s migration tracking system, giving the country accurate data on internal movements, cross-border flows, labour migration and population pressure information critical for security, employment planning and urban development.
Dr. Yusuf announced that the delayed NPC headquarters project will now be fast-tracked as a top operational priority.
State and local government offices will also undergo upgrades, alongside a nationwide ICT overhaul to meet global standards.
His target: an institution that looks, functions and delivers like a 21st-century data powerhouse.
Positioning the NPC as Nigeria’s foremost demographic think tank, Dr. Yusuf promised a revival of national surveys, strengthened research departments and tighter data integrity controls.
“No policy should be driven by guesswork again,” he declared, insisting that health, education, housing, migration, security and economic policies must rest on credible statistics.
Under his Strategic Population Management agenda, the Commission will generate detailed projections on fertility, mortality, urbanization and youth bulge trends.
These projections, he said, will directly shape the future of schools, hospitals, transport systems, housing, agriculture and national infrastructure.
Population, he warned, must evolve from a neglected statistic into a central pillar of governance.
In a rare show of institutional honesty, Dr. Yusuf declared staff welfare non-negotiable.
“A motivated workforce is an asset. A neglected workforce is a liability we cannot afford.”
He promised merit-based career progression, continuous training, strict ethics enforcement and a work culture anchored on professionalism and accountability.
Turning from policy to public trust, the NPC chairman issued a firm guarantee to Nigerians: demographic data under his leadership will be transparent, scientifically sound and globally credible.
Integrity, accountability and international standards, he said, will not be slogans but measurable benchmarks.
As the address closed, one message rang louder than the rest: this administration at the National Population Commission is staking its legitimacy not on politics, but on performance.
The months ahead will test whether Nigeria can truly escape its long history of disputed population figures and data credibility battles.
But one thing is now certain under Dr. Aminu Yusuf, the NPC is no longer positioning itself as a quiet civil service agency.
It is recasting itself as a national command centre for Nigeria’s future.
And in a country where data is power, that shift could change everything.
