WorldStage– Nigeria has rolled out a new geospatial database project to modernize its census and population data infrastructure.
The initiative is part of a strategic shift toward a technology-driven National Population and Housing Census.
Unveiled at a high-level engagement in Abuja, the launch is designed to replace outdated population estimates with high-resolution, verifiable data for national development planning.
The initiative is led by the National Population Commission in collaboration with international partners and it uses satellite imagery and GIS to create precise geospatially referenced data to improve planning and development.
The repository stores geocoded statistical and geographic data, broken down into Enumerated Area Demarcation (EAD), which includes documentation for every free-standing building in Nigeria.
The database, according to sources privy to the Repository, is linked to the new electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (e-CRVS) system, which digitizes the registration of births, deaths, and marriages.
Managed by the National Population Commission (NPC), the system leverages up-to-date satellite imagery (less than two years old) provided by NASRDA to ensure accuracy.
“The upcoming census will utilize approximately 760,000 biometric tablets to prevent data manipulation and ensure results are credible,” NPC stated.
The project is part of an 18-month initiative supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and WorldPop at the University of Southampton to modernize Nigeria’s population data architecture.
By providing precise data on settlements and infrastructure, the database enables evidence-based policy; improved decision-making in healthcare, education, and security; more effective resource allocation based on actual population density rather than 20-year-old estimates; and tracking service delivery gaps across the country’s various administrative levels.
The census, expected to take place in 2025 or early 2026, will be Nigeria’s first digital headcount since 2006.
