Senate Seeks First-Line Charge for NPC, Laments Zero Capital Fund Release

Senate Seeks First-Line Charge for NPC, Laments Zero Capital Fund Release

The Senate has called for the National Population Commission (NPC) to be placed on first-line charge, declaring that the agency’s mandate is even more critical than that of the Independent National Electoral Commission because it provides the demographic foundation for national planning and development.

The position was made on Wednesday during a budget defence session of the Senate Committee on National Population and NIMC, where the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida Yusuf, presented the agency’s 2025 budget performance and 2026 projections.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Victor Umeh, disclosed that a constitutional amendment bill has already been sponsored to grant the NPC first-line charge status. He argued that while Nigeria accords high priority to INEC because of elections, it fails to extend similar recognition to the institution responsible for maintaining the nation’s population data.

“INEC is a subset of what the population commission represents. You respect INEC, but you do not respect the institution that knows the total population — the number of women, elderly people, children and dependents. Governance begins with knowing your numbers,” Umeh said.

He likened the situation to a father who must know the number of his children to plan adequately for their welfare, stressing that without credible demographic data, planning for education, healthcare, infrastructure and security would remain fundamentally flawed.

The senator urged influential lawmakers, including former governors on the committee, to mobilise broader legislative and stakeholder support to secure sustainable funding for the Commission, especially as preparations for a national census remain stalled.

The renewed push for funding protection follows troubling figures from the Commission’s 2025 budget performance.

Dr. Yusuf disclosed that the NPC was appropriated ₦36.21 billion for the 2025 fiscal year, covering capital, overhead and personnel costs. The allocation comprised ₦18.2 billion for capital projects, ₦1.17 billion for overheads and ₦16.76 billion for personnel.

However, capital expenditure recorded zero release, representing zero per cent performance — a development lawmakers described as alarming, particularly given the importance of capital funding for census preparation and technological upgrades.

“You got nothing. Of the ₦18 billion appropriated for capital projects in 2025, you received zero,” a committee member remarked during the session.

On overheads, ₦682.44 million was released out of ₦1.17 billion, reflecting a 41.8 per cent performance rate.

Personnel costs, however, recorded 103 per cent performance, with ₦17.33 billion released through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), exceeding the ₦16.76 billion appropriation by over ₦506 million.

Responding to concerns over the variance, Dr. Yusuf explained that personnel payments are processed centrally through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, noting that promotions and statutory salary adjustments may have accounted for the increase.

The Committee maintained that any expenditure beyond appropriated sums must strictly comply with National Assembly approval processes and be transparently documented.

The Senate reiterated that without credible and updated population data, Nigeria’s development planning will remain impaired. Lawmakers stressed that granting first-line charge status to the NPC would shield it from funding uncertainties and fast-track preparations for a long-awaited, technology-driven national census.