By George Ozalla
The new Chairman of the National Population Commission, Dr Aminu Yusuf, yesterday formally assumed duty at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, stepping into the role alongside two newly sworn in Federal Commissioners, Joseph Haruna Kigbu and Tonga Betara Bularafa. Their assumption of office followed the swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Villa earlier in the day.
Dr Yusuf, whose appointment was confirmed by the Senate in October, is widely regarded within policy and development circles as a reform-minded technocrat with a grounding in demography, national planning and institutional management. He took over the Commission’s leadership after receiving handover briefings from senior directors who presented current operational updates on census preparation, data harmonisation, birth and death registration, and the ongoing digital transformation of civil registration systems.
In his first remarks to management staff, Dr Yusuf said the Commission must recommit to credibility, accuracy and transparency in all stages of population data gathering. He noted that Nigeria’s planning challenges require reliable demographic figures, stressing that the Commission under his watch would strengthen field operations, improve internal coordination and rebuild public confidence in the institution’s outputs. He also told staff that he would focus on a professional work culture anchored on merit, accountability and efficiency.
Federal Commissioners Joseph Haruna Kigbu and Tonga Betara Bularafa also took up their offices yesterday. Both men were received by departmental heads who briefed them on ongoing national population programmes and state-level operations. Kigbu and Bularafa expressed readiness to support the new chairman in repositioning the Commission and pledged to prioritise service delivery, staff motivation and timely execution of population management tasks. They said they would align their work with the broader national objectives approved by the Federal Government.
With the new leadership in place, attention is now turning to how quickly the Commission can stabilize its programmes and drive the long-awaited reforms in Nigeria’s civil registration and population data systems. The National Population Commission is responsible for producing and managing the country’s demographic statistics, coordinating civil registration nationwide and preparing the framework for national census exercises.
