The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Kwarra, on Tuesday, formally concluded his five-year term and handed over leadership to the Federal Commissioner representing Niger State, Muhammad Dattijo, who will now serve as Acting Chairman pending the swearing-in of Aminu Yusuf by President Bola Tinubu.
The handover ceremony, held at the NPC headquarters in Abuja, was attended by Federal Commissioners, the Director-General, Directors, and other staff members of the commission.
In a statement released by the commission on Wednesday, Kwarra expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their support during his tenure, noting the collective achievements made in improving data systems and modernising census operations.
“Hon. Kwarra expressed appreciation to the Federal Commissioners, Management and Staff of the NPC for their unwavering support and dedication throughout his five-year tenure, highlighting the commission’s strides in strengthening data collection systems, digitizing Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system and advancing preparations for the forthcoming national Population and Housing Census,” the statement read.
The event featured the signing of official handover documents, tributes from colleagues, and a group photograph to commemorate the occasion.
Dattijo, who now leads the commission in an acting capacity, is expected to sustain the agency’s ongoing projects until Yusuf’s formal assumption of office.
Appointed in 2020 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Kwarra’s leadership coincided with preparations for Nigeria’s first population and housing census in nearly two decades. The last census was conducted in 2006, making the upcoming exercise a major national focus.
During his tenure, Kwarra oversaw significant advancements in digital mapping and enumeration area demarcation — key steps toward improving the accuracy and transparency of census operations.
However, the 2023 census was postponed due to the transition of government. The incoming substantive Chairman, Aminu Yusuf, is expected to lead the commission in completing the much-anticipated census, vital for data-driven planning and equitable national development.
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