The National Population Commission (NPC) has issued a warning regarding a fraudulent website that claims to be recruiting Ad-hoc staff for the upcoming 2025 Population and Housing Census.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Director of Public Affairs, Erelu Taibat Yemi Oloruntoba.
The Commission clarified that no recruitment process is currently underway and urged the public to disregard the misleading website.
“The attention of the National Population Commission has been drawn to a fake website https://qpetition.org/NPC-Ad-Hoc-Staff-Recruitment.html created by some mischief makers concerning the purported recruitment for the 2025 Population and Housing Census with the intention to defraud unsuspecting citizens.
The Commission wishes to inform the public that it is not undergoing any census Ad-hoc Staff recruitment exercise at the moment as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR has not issued a proclamation date for the conduct of the next Population and Housing Census,” the statement read.
Public advised to be cautious
The Commission emphasized that whenever the President sets a date for the next census, an official announcement will be made through national media channels, NPC’s social media platforms, and its official website.
“Whenever Mr. President fixes a date for the conduct of the upcoming Population and Housing Census and the Commission wants to recruit Ad hoc staff for the census exercise, it will be announced on the national media and the NPC social media platforms and website,” the statement reiterated.
Erelu Taibat Yemi Oloruntoba urged Nigerians to be cautious of scams and avoid the fraudulent website, emphasizing the importance of disregarding its false information.
“We implore the general public to disregard the fake website and its false information trending online to avoid falling victim to swindlers,” she said.
What you should know
The last population census in Nigeria was conducted in 2006, recording a population of 140 million. This census is now nearly two decades old, making an updated count critical for accurate national planning and policy-making.
- The leadership of the National Assembly has expressed strong support for conducting a national population census in 2025. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, emphasized the need for an updated census to aid in future development planning.
- This approach aims to enhance accuracy and transparency using advanced technology. However, the NPC’s current budget is insufficient for the full cost of the biometric census.
Alternative funding options, such as tapping into the Sovereign Wealth Fund, are being considered to address these financial constraints.
