The federal commissioner of the National Population Commission (NPC) for Delta State, Mrs. Blessyn Brume-Ataguba, has emphasized the strategic importance of empowering Nigeria’s young people. she stated that equipping them with the ability to make informed decisions about their future and families is crucial for national development.
Brume-ataguba made the call on Tuesday in Asaba during a news conference to commemorate the 2025 World Population Day. she noted that with over 60 per cent of the nation’s population under the age of 30, Nigeria is at a “transformative demographic juncture,” presenting both immense opportunities and significant challenges.
The commissioner described the theme for the day, “empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world,” as particularly timely and relevant to the country’s demographic reality.
She stressed that the NPC recognised the youth’s potential to drive national development, but warned that structural barriers must be removed to allow young people to make voluntary, informed decisions about their lives and livelihoods.
The 2025 World Population Day, she noted, served as a call to action for government, civil society, and development partners to provide young people with knowledge, support, and protection of their rights.
Brume-Ataguba highlighted the commission’s ongoing work to provide reliable, evidence-based demographic data to support inclusive and youth-focused governance.
“Our current strategy is anchored on revolutionising civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS), conducting a digital population and housing census, and developing a national geospatial data repository,” she said.
She explained that a functional CRVS system was essential to inclusive development, noting that a birth certificate was not just a document but the first recognition of a citizen by the state, giving access to rights and services.
The commissioner added that the upcoming digital population and housing census would collect detailed disaggregated data, including age, gender, education, location, and access to basic services, enabling better planning and service delivery.
She also announced the creation of a National Geospatial Data Repository, integrating census and CRVS data with geographic mapping tools to identify underserved communities and monitor development progress.
Brume-Ataguba said the commission was working with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other partners to organise activities such as youth consultations, stakeholder dialogues, media engagements, and community sensitisation to raise awareness about population dynamics.
In her remarks, Mrs Jane Odigwe, State Director of the Commission, stressed the importance of accurate statistics, family planning, and birth registration.
“No nation can achieve meaningful growth without reliable data. The world depends on accurate statistics,” she said.
Odigwe called on stakeholders to increase awareness around empowering youth to create the families they wanted in a fair and hopeful world.
